SOUTH SALT LAKE , Utah, May 8, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — At least four people have been hospitalized after a TRAX train derailed in South Salt Lake City Sunday afternoon.
The derailment happened near 2100 South and 200 East at about 3:35 p.m.
The South Salt Lake Police Department confirmed four people were injured in the accident, two of them seriously.
Passenger Mike Jereb told Gephardt Daily he was using TRAX to get to a friend’s house in West Valley City. Â
“The doors closed and the train automatically took off,” Jereb said. “I mean he (the driver) set the speed at fifty miles per hour. He was going so fast we couldn’t figure out what he was doing.”
“We go to take the corner and the whole train jiggled and we were getting thrown around. The next thing we know the train bounced off the rail and crashed on its side.
“A lady got banged around pretty bad. She flew from the seat and onto the floor then bounced back and forth and then landed in the middle of the aisle. She was screaming out in pain. We tried to keep her calm.”Â
There were 14 passengers on the train when it derailed. Those that weren’t transported for medical treatment were assessed at the scene and then released.Â
The West Valley Trax line was operating a bus bridge Sunday night between Central Pointe Station (2100 South 210 West) and the River Trail Station (2330 Station 1070 West) to ferry passengers around the accident site.
The cause of the derailment is under investigation.
DEVELOPING
