SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah, July 24, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Officials have identified a woman who was struck and killed by a Utah Transit Authority TRAX train near the Millcreek Station on Monday night.
The deceased has been identified as Lorica Sophya Gooden, 28, whose last known address was in South Salt Lake, UTA spokesperson Carl Arky said in a news release.
Arky said the fatal accident happened at about 9:45 p.m. on the TRAX red line in the area of 210 W. 3300 South.
The victim was standing or walking on the tracks, and was struck by a northbound TRAX train.
“The person was about 500 yards down from the crossing,” Arky said, “so technically, it was a trespasser on the tracks.”
Being that far from the crossing, a lack of light may have played a part in the incident as well.
“It’s a very, very dark stretch of track, and very hard to see,” Arky said.
It’s still early in the investigation, and it isn’t yet known whether the victim was wearing headphones or was otherwise distracted, but Arky said it’s a possibility.
“People need to remember to take the headsets off, take the earbuds out. You need to be aware of your surroundings,” he said.
Gephardt Daily will update this developing story as more information becomes available.
