Sombeech
07-08-2010, 04:16 PM
SANDY -- A bicyclist was hit and killed by a TRAX train Thursday morning in Sandy.
Sandy police say the train was headed north toward the station at 9000 South around 8:15 a.m. when it struck 32-year-old Michael Kody Wright of Salt Lake County.
It appears distraction on the part of the bicyclist was a factor in this case, not unlike other serious TRAX accidents.
Police say the TRAX conductor saw Wright riding his bicycle at a crosswalk that goes over the tracks and blasted the horn several times.
"Based on eyewitness accounts, he was sounding his horn. He did go into emergency braking," said UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter. "These trains, even though they're traveling only 25 or 30 miles an hour as they're approaching the station, are still very large. They have a lot of inertia and they just can't stop very quickly so by the time the individual was going to stop, it was pretty much too late."
Wright was hit and taken down the tracks about 100 feet. Investigators believe he may have been listening to an iPod at the time of the crash.
"We believe the bicyclist rode directly out in front of the train. It's possible he may have been wearing headphones or some form of an iPod system that prevented him from hearing the train from coming," said Sandy police Sgt. Troy Arnold.
Wright died on the way to the hospital.
Other serious TRAX accidents in the past have happened much the same way where the victim was not paying attention as he or she approached the train.
In March of 2009, a TRAX train struck and seriously injured a 19-year-old man at the Midvale Center stop. The teen was riding a skateboard, and witnesses told UTA he didn't seem to be paying a lot of attention.
In August that year, a bicyclist died after being hit and pinned under a FrontRunner train as it was pulling into the Salt Lake station. The crossing arms were down and the lights were flashing when the victim entered the path of the train.
In Thursday's incident, no one on board the train was injured.
Carpenter says the train operator will undergo drug and alcohol testing and be placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure following a collision. He will also be given counseling if needed.
According to UTA, the accident did cause some delays but service has been restored.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=11480870
Sandy police say the train was headed north toward the station at 9000 South around 8:15 a.m. when it struck 32-year-old Michael Kody Wright of Salt Lake County.
It appears distraction on the part of the bicyclist was a factor in this case, not unlike other serious TRAX accidents.
Police say the TRAX conductor saw Wright riding his bicycle at a crosswalk that goes over the tracks and blasted the horn several times.
"Based on eyewitness accounts, he was sounding his horn. He did go into emergency braking," said UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter. "These trains, even though they're traveling only 25 or 30 miles an hour as they're approaching the station, are still very large. They have a lot of inertia and they just can't stop very quickly so by the time the individual was going to stop, it was pretty much too late."
Wright was hit and taken down the tracks about 100 feet. Investigators believe he may have been listening to an iPod at the time of the crash.
"We believe the bicyclist rode directly out in front of the train. It's possible he may have been wearing headphones or some form of an iPod system that prevented him from hearing the train from coming," said Sandy police Sgt. Troy Arnold.
Wright died on the way to the hospital.
Other serious TRAX accidents in the past have happened much the same way where the victim was not paying attention as he or she approached the train.
In March of 2009, a TRAX train struck and seriously injured a 19-year-old man at the Midvale Center stop. The teen was riding a skateboard, and witnesses told UTA he didn't seem to be paying a lot of attention.
In August that year, a bicyclist died after being hit and pinned under a FrontRunner train as it was pulling into the Salt Lake station. The crossing arms were down and the lights were flashing when the victim entered the path of the train.
In Thursday's incident, no one on board the train was injured.
Carpenter says the train operator will undergo drug and alcohol testing and be placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure following a collision. He will also be given counseling if needed.
According to UTA, the accident did cause some delays but service has been restored.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=11480870