SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept. 14, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — An Uber passenger was killed Wednesday morning when the car he was in ran a red light at 700 South and West Temple and collided with a TRAX train, according to the Utah Transit Authority.
UTA spokesman James Larson told Gephardt Daily the crash happened at 7:54 a.m. when the eastbound train was struck by a southbound passenger vehicle believed to be traveling 30 to 40 miles an hour.
Larson said the car went through a red light and clipped back of the train, with the brunt of the impact occurring on the passenger’s side of the vehicle, Larson said.
Bystanders “ran out to see if the driver and the passenger were OK” and found the driver uninjured, but “the passenger wasn’t responding and had stopped breathing. They pulled the passenger out of the car and tried to do CPR, but the passenger passed away,” Larson said.
The passenger has been identified as an adult male. His name has yet to be released.
“The driver is in custody with Salt Lake City Police Department and it’s under investigation as to why the driver ran through the red light.
“There were no injuries to the operator or the passengers on the train,” Larson said.
The intersection and 700 South and West Temple is expected to be closed for three to five hours and drivers are being asked to avoid the area.
“UTA is running a bus bridge between the courthouse and ballpark,” which will be in effect for a few hours, until the crash site can be cleared.
Gephardt Daily will update the story as more information is made available.
