Man killed in FrontRunner, pickup truck accident

SUNSET — A Sunset man was killed Monday when his pickup truck was broadsided by a FrontRunner train near the Clinton-Sunset border.

Officials believe the 52-year-old man, who was driving west on 1800 North, was trying to drive around the lowered crossing arms at 400 West about 8 p.m. when the southbound train crashed into the victim's truck, pushing the vehicle to 1400 North before it could come to a complete stop.

Dispatchers initially sent a helicopter to the accident, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses watched in dismay as emergency crews attempted to extract the victim's body from the wreckage. Officials believe the train was going close to full speed — 79 miles per hour — when the accident occurred. It was the third fatal FrontRunner accident since the commuter rail system began operating.

Utah Transit Authority spokesman Gerry Carpenter said about 18 people were on the train when it came to a halt and one person with minor injuries was transported to a nearby hospital as a precaution.

Emergency crews were still investigating and cleaning up the accident site late Monday. Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Harley Watkins said it's unclear why the man tried to go around the crossing arms but warned others against a similar attempt.

"Please, don't ever try," he said. "Honestly, even if you're a big guy weighing 100, 200, even 300 pounds, you don't stand a chance versus a 200- to 300-ton train. You're going to lose. It never fails."

Last year, a similar incident occurred when a car carrying four teens attempted by go around the crossing arms at a TRAX crossing in Salt Lake County. Two of the teens were killed in that accident; the other two were critically injured.

Monday's incident was the first fatal FrontRunner crash involving a vehicle. The most recent fatal accident involved a 14-year-old Clearfield boy who was killed while attempting to cross in front of a train on foot. Officials believe J.J. Reyes had climbed over a chain link fence while taking a shortcut to school in April. In August 2009, a 57-year-old bicyclist was struck and killed by slow-moving train near the Salt Lake Central Station, 200 South and 600 West.

Officials said they are withholding the Sunset man's name pending family notification.

e-mail: lgroves@desnews.com