Man struck by Sound Transit train in South Seattle
SEATTLE - A man suffered life-threatening head injuries Saturday evening when he was struck by a Sound Transit light rail train in South Seattle, officials said.
The accident brought all Sound Transit service to a halt for about three hours.
Police and emergency crews responded to the scene, in the 4800 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South, at about 5:40 p.m. after receiving a report of a pedestrian struck by the train near the Columbia City station, said Seattle police spokesman Mark Jamieson.
The train was brought to a halt after the impact, and emergency crews were able to move the victim from under the train and into an ambulance for transport to Harborview Medical Center. He reportedly suffered multiple injuries to the face and head.
Some lanes of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and cross streets were closed after the accident, and all Sound Transit trains were stopped for about three hours.
Service resumed at about 8:30 p.m., with a few minor delays.
The accident brought all Sound Transit service to a halt for about three hours.
Police and emergency crews responded to the scene, in the 4800 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South, at about 5:40 p.m. after receiving a report of a pedestrian struck by the train near the Columbia City station, said Seattle police spokesman Mark Jamieson.
The train was brought to a halt after the impact, and emergency crews were able to move the victim from under the train and into an ambulance for transport to Harborview Medical Center. He reportedly suffered multiple injuries to the face and head.
Some lanes of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and cross streets were closed after the accident, and all Sound Transit trains were stopped for about three hours.
Service resumed at about 8:30 p.m., with a few minor delays.
Trains don't kill people, stupidity simply thins out the herd. Want to be some form of alcohol and/or drugs were involved?
I've made it to the ripe age of 50 by making a personal decision to never walk on train tracks. How novel is that?
Frankly, putting this track at ground level in South Seattle was about the dumbest possible solution. This area is the poorest part of town. This directly correlates to the intelligence level of the people here, like it or not. It's a fact. This of course, results in more unnecessary accidents than in any other area both pedestrian and automobile. Many of these drivers are uninsured as well.  It's never going to change.
Well if the douchbag is stupid enough to not watch the tracks, then so be it!
"The accident brought all Sound Transit service to a halt for about three hours."Â Considering that the ST buses were still running, I'd say this statement is flat out false.
Just what in the world is soooooo difficult to comprehend concerning track safety? Whether on foot or in a vehicle, STAY OFF OF THE TRACKS!!!! It is just incredible that there are so many people in the Pacific Northwest that get whacked by trains. Completely stupid and completely preventable!
 @kcsparky Well, maybe if a busy track were run down the middle of YOUR street in front of the yards where YOUR children play, you might have rather a different view on such matters. Running a railroad right down the middle of a busy street between dense residential neighborhoods is not unlike running a 60 MPH highway down same without limited access, elevated crossings or even traffic signals. This problem was widely predicted from the very start, but was swept right under the rug by "planners" eager to save a buck.
 @JLS1950  @kcsparky It wasn't swept under the rug!  The problem isn't the trains.  Trains have been doing that, which is to say running down the middle of a road, for over 100 years in countless cities around the world.
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The problem is the failure of people to obey the laws of this country, use common sense, and in some cases properly educate their children. Â It's not fences and limited access that keeps most people from trying to cross a busy highway.
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 @ahblid  @kcsparky Actually, I rather like the light rail... just not down the middle or a busy street at grade!
Studies have shown that more traffic lights actually just makes traffic worse. Woodinville removed at least one traffic light and replaced it with three roundabouts - for very substantial improvement of traffic flow and safety. And if you merely look at the photo accompanying this article, you can see that there is already far too much visual pollution and distraction.
 @JLS1950  @kcsparky By the way, where is your opposition to driving?  After all according to the Seattle DOT in 2010 529 people were hit by vehicles within the city.  Clearly cars & people don't mix well, since the rate of accidents is much higher.  Are you out lobbying for lower speed limits, smaller streets, more traffic lights, better signs, etc?
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Or is this as I suspect, Â simply a reason to try to put down rail?
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 @JLS1950  @kcsparky Ah yes, insults.  The weapon of choice for those without facts!
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A Streetcar going 40 MPH takes just about as long to stop as a light rail car going 40 MPH. Â And the light rail cars are most certainly NOT "high-speed commuter trains." Â A high speed commuter train would be going 150 MPH or faster. Â Even Sounder doesn't qualify as "high-speed" with a top speed of 70 MPH.
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And the signs and signals aren't confusing at all if one simply pays attention. Â Again, we have light rail trains running down the center of many streets in this country. Â And most people in most cities seem to be able to figure out how to deal with them! Â
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People seem to be able to largely avoid buses and they go 35 MPH to 40 MPH.  And buses are unpredictable, they change lanes at will.  You know where the train is going to be.  It can't suddenly swerve out of the median.
 @JLS1950  @ahblid  @kcsparky The train stopped within 150 feet of the collision and could not have been traveling more than 37 MPH before the event.
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I drive through that area an a very regular basis. That intersection is poorly lit. The residents in the area have complained so much about the safety devices that the bells have to be muted at the intersection and on the trains.
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Warning signs only work if people heed them.
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I wish that the rail was not at grade ANYWHERE, but that would have cost too much apparently.
 @ahblid  @kcsparky Stick your head back in the sand: your argument is TOO STUPID to voice in public!
Slow-speed street car tracks ran down Rainier Ave about 75 years ago when the population was much less dense - but NEVER on MLK (formerly Empire Way.) And these are not street cars, but are rather high-speed commuter trains running on double tracks: it takes 2 or 3 blocks to stop one of these trains under the most ideal conditions. There is a REASON why Burlington Northern now prosecutes trespassers on their N. Seattle right of way all the way to Everett: trains and people simply do not mix. But on MLK the trains are mixing with both cars and pedestrians, and the signage and signals in the area are EXQUISITELY confusing! Just TRY driving or waling through that obstacle course sometime!
surprise - surprise...
I don't understand why it's so difficult to stay away from these things? It's not like the trains and the tracks are invisible or move! And there must be about a million warning signs along the way.
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 @the unvarnished truth So do you not think about how much more it would have costed to have it fully elevated? Also, most places have them at ground level.
 @the unvarnished truth You are suggesting that ST should pay taxes???
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 @the unvarnished truth kinda funny on that one, San Diego has their system on the street level and people and cars seem pretty much able to avoid getting hit by them or hitting them, unless they are drunk or under drugs.
 @beetle73  @the unvarnished truth Denver has one at street level as well. Only time there are accidents with that train are during the winter seasons when walkways and roads are slick.
I heard the guy was only wearing boxers and socks. Drugs involved?
They had to shut down the entire system in the aftermath of an entirely foreseeable event? They never took even a moment to plan for this?
 @wysoumible That's obviously a drawback to rail.  If there's a problem on the line, the entire system shuts down - they can't reroute.
@UtterReality @wysoumible .....all the problems so far have been caused by the idiots that inhabit the Rainier Valley. It was utterly predictable.
 @UtterReality  @wysoumible When an incident like this occurs, service is "bridged" from one unaffected station to another via Metro buses. Report (standby) operators and other drivers that are done with their normal routes are recruited to minimize  the service disruption. I believe that it is possible that KOMO has it wrong. All trains were not stopped, only between Mt. Baker and Othelllo stations.
 @UtterReality  @wysoumible This is why rail was torn up to begin with. As population and industry shift ,one can't just move the rail. You're stuck.
 @Maynard G Krebbs  @UtterReality  @wysoumible That's why they have the option to expand and build multiple lines? The reason the rail industry faltered had nothing to do with moving populations and industries; it was torn apart by General Motors (and their competitors) who subsidized their products and pushed for city bus lines pre and post WWII. They also monopolized the system by purchasing up thousands of street cars which the proceeded to dismantle (research the GM Streetcar Conspiracy).  This lead to the demise of intercity rail, and it has recently revived throughout the country because of its ability to move massive amounts of people in a relatively short period of time compared to cars.Â
 @wysoumible Until the situation could be assessed, trains have to be stopped. Currently the trains cannot pass the incident site but are running in all other areas.
Trains are starting to move everywhere but at the accident. Working on a "Bus Bridge". Service running SEA-Othello and Westlake-MountBaker.