Light Rail Train Accident
Raleigh, NC Injury Lawyers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A woman was hit by a LYNX light rail train on South Boulevard and Whitton Street around 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
Officials identifed the woman as Lakysha Erwin, 31, and say she was struck by the train at the Scaleybark Light Rail station by a southbound train. Erwin was transported to Carolinas Medical Center and she is in serious condition Thursday afternoon.
CATS spokesperson Jean Leier says there were at least 15 people on board the train at the time of the accident, and at least a few people on the platform that may have witnessed the incident.
Leier says she's unsure where Erwin was coming from. It's unsure whether she may have been crossing the tracks from the inbound side or whether she was traveling from the parking lot, which is on the southbound side.
The Blue Line service was delayed 20 minutes this morning while police investigated the incident, according to CATS. Investigators were interviewing people on the scene.
By 9:30 a.m., the train car that was involved with the accident was moved to the train depot off of South Boulevard. Leier says CATS and CMPD investigators will continue to look over the train at that location.
“As you approach the rail crossing there are signs that indicate you should look both ways before crossing," said CATS Director of Security Bryan Leaird. “For approaching trains you always have the operator sound the warning horn to alert persons that he is coming into the station.”
While the train was still on the southbound track, CATS officials say they were "single-tracking," which meant trains were running in both directions, but only on the inbound track near where the accident happened.
Security Changes?
NewsChannel 36 asked why there are gates that come down to block cars from crossing tracks but no gates to stop pedestrians.
“Ped gates, in and of themselves, are not always the solution. They often end up creating their own set of problems that are unique to the station,” Leaird added.
He said that could include gates hitting people in the head or trapping people out on the tracks.
“The lady, she was just walking, and I guess she wasn’t paying attention,” said one witness who did not want to be identified. “I could see she had like a gash in her head and when something happens to the head, you know, that’s not good.”
The witness, who did not want to be identified, saw it all and ran to help the woman. She works in an auto parts store across the street and was in her car waiting to turn in.
“I just want to know, was she paying attention or what,” she added. “I know how people can get walking. You know you’re walking in your own little world.”
From WCNC
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