Pedestrian fatally struck by Amtrak train in Richmond

A person was fatally struck by an Amtrak train in Richmond on Friday, Aug. 12.

 

The collision was reported at 10:45 p.m. in the 900 block of Triangle Court, Richmond police spokesperson Sgt. Aaron Pomeroy said. The pedestrian, whose identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin, was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

 

According to Amtrak spokesperson Olivia Irvin, the Amtrak Coast Starlight train 14 was traveling from Los Angeles to Seattle when an individual trespassing on the track was struck by the train. There were no reported injuries to the 207 passengers or crew onboard.

 

“Amtrak is working with local law enforcement to investigate the incident,” Irvin said.

Irvin stressed the importance of obeying the law and exercising extreme caution around railroad tracks. Trespassing along railroad right-of-ways is the leading cause of rail-related deaths in America, she said, adding that railroad crossing incidents are the second leading cause of rail-related deaths in the U.S.

“These incidents can affect everyone involved—those who are injured or die and their families, our train crews, and our passengers,” Irvin said.

She added that Amtrak “continues to work closely with Operation Lifesaver (OLI) to #STOPTrackTragedies by emphasizing the obvious dangers of being on railroad property or disregarding warnings at rail crossings.”

For more railroad safety information, visit StayOffTheTracks.org.