MURRAY, Utah, May 7, 2022, (Gephardt Daily) — A cyclist apparently ignoring a crossing gate and other warning devices was killed when he rode in front of a southbound FrontRunner train Saturday night.
The incident, at the 4500 South frontage road and 200 West at approximately 7:30 p.m., closed the line as the Utah Transit Authority investigated the death, said Carl Arky, UTA spokesman, affecting service all the way to Provo. At 10 p.m. Arky said full service was expected to be restored momentarily.
The deceased 20-year-old was a pizza delivery driver and had apparently waited for some time for a long northbound Union Pacific train to pass, Arky said. The train blocked his view of the impending southbound FrontRunner.
The man on an electric bicycle had gone around the crossing gate, which was down, as he waited, as was the arm on the other side of the pair of tracks.
“The lights were on, the bells were going, the gates were down, he was in the restricted area where he shouldn’t have been,” Arky said. “It’s tragic and it’s something that could have been avoided.”
The UTA Police Department will investigate the tragedy. Reports will be examined by a UTA safety review panel, a process that typically takes three to four weeks, Arky said.
The name of the deceased has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
“We’re looking for the family now.”
