Always Look Both Ways

Transit accident

Commuter hit by TRAX train at 2100 South station

The Salt Lake Tribune

Article Last Updated: 12/19/2007 01:13:14 AM MST

A man was dragged 80 feet by a train that hit him as he was running toward a TRAX platform Tuesday evening in South Salt Lake.
The man, thought to be about 45, was in critical condition but talking coherently when he was airlifted from the TRAX station at 2100 South, police said.
Witnesses saw him running to the platform at about 6:45 p.m., police said. He appeared to be trying to catch a northbound train when the southbound train hit him.
"There's certainly a message to holiday travelers to be careful," said South Salt Lake police spokesman Gary Keller.
As of 9 p.m., the train had not moved and was blocking traffic on 2100 South. Southbound TRAX passengers were being bused from 1300 South to 3300 South.
- Erin Alberty

I have written before about my belief that most people who die, die stupidly. You look the news article or the obituary and say to your self how could someone do anything so stupid.? The article from our local morning paper illustrates this point. Granted the consumer did not die but easily could have. And you say to yourself, “Gah! How can anyone Be so stupid?” But I know how easy something like getting run over by a train like this example could happen. In fact I have been almost run over a couple of times. It’s easy. Your brain/my brain is so focused on the train which is passing you from the South a person gets the impression this is the only train in the world and you don’t even think about the North bound train on the track and the next thing you know you’re paste. I have to be most careful right at the Trax stops. There have been times when I am anxious to get started on my way home and as I start to cross the second set of tracks the train driver blasts his horn- which actually will almost nock one over, and I’ll slam on my brakes, and the train will swoosh past. I will just sit there and ponder what it would have been like if the horn had not sounded and had I lunged onto the path of the oncoming train. How the article in the local newspaper would have reported the story would be interesting or how the accident would be the teaser for the Fox Nine o clock news a bout how someone in power wheelchair died stupidly

So, once again, I have started being more cautious: looking both ways before crossing the tracks, even though its obvious the tracks are clear.

I don’t want to be a stupid obit.