SALT LAKE CITY — An Uber passenger died Wednesday morning and the driver was taken into custody after their vehicle and a TRAX train collided in Salt Lake City.
The crash happened at the intersection of Main Street and 700 South just before 8 a.m.
Representatives from UTA said the vehicle was heading West on 700 South at about 30-40 miles per hour when the driver ran a red light. At the same time, a TRAX train had a green light and the vehicle and train collided.
"You'll never beat a train a train is always faster than a car," said James Larson with UTA.
Nobody riding on the TRAX train was injured in the incident.
"I didn't see the car hit the train, but this lady next to me said that she saw it and the car just never slowed down or anything, it just hit right into the train. When it did hit, I kind of like bounced over to the other side," said Jack Smeak who was on the train at the time of the crash.
The identities of the Uber driver, who was taken into custody, and the passenger who died were not made available.
“Our hearts are with the rider’s loved ones during their time of mourning. We have deactivated the driver, and we stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation,” said an Uber spokesperson.
The accident is yet another reminder to pay attention on the roads, no matter who is driving.
"The hard thing I think with rideshare is a lot of times they rely on their GPS to get them to where they need to go. And all it takes is that split second and then looking down at their phone and then looking up realizing oh my gosh, I just ran through a red light and by that time, it's way too late," said Larson.
Coincidentally, the tragedy happened during Railway Safety Week in Utah where officials hope to educate the public about how trains operate. Across the country, a person or car is hit by a train every three hours, resulting in major injuries or loss of life.
In just the last three weeks, UTA has had three incidents involving cars hitting trains.
"It takes about a mile-and-a-half for a train to be able to stop. If you're approaching a light and it turns yellow, please slow down," Larson said. "Don't proceed through that light as fast as you can, especially today as you can see the rain out there. This just makes it so much harder for us to drive."
The intersection where Wednesday's incident occurred was closed for hours as officials investigated the crash.
