Man Killed In Light Rail Train Accident

DENVER (CBS4)- Firefighters in Denver rushed to the scene where a man was struck by the light rail. Police believe the victim may have been dragged for some distance before the man's body was discovered under the train.

The train stopped about 3:15 p.m. Thursday near 14th and California.

Police in Denver tweeted details about the accident and that an investigation was underway.

When firefighters arrived they found a man's body under the train. He did not survive.

"We're trying to determine exactly when this individual was impacted by the train," said Denver Police spokesman Sonny Jackson.

When asked if he fell over or dived under the train, Jackson replied, "We don't know any of that."

It is unclear where the pedestrian was first struck and then dragged. Investigators are interviewing witnesses about the events.

Witnesses called 911 after they noticed a man under the middle of the train. Police don't believe the conductor of the train saw the victim and didn't know anything was wrong until passengers asked him to stop.

There were reports about 20 minutes before the 911 calls that someone was playing "chicken" on the crossing. Police are investigating whether those reports are related to the man's body found under the train..

The investigation scene has blocked off a large portion of the light rail tracks, including what appeared to be from the Auraria campus to the Colorado Convention Center and then to 14th and California.

Police found a pair of abandoned slippers near the light rail tracks. It is unclear if they belong to the victim. Investigators are working to determine if surveillance cameras captured anything unusual happening around the tracks.

The northbound lanes of Speer Boulevard at Stout were closed to traffic where the light rail crosses Speer for several hours during the investigation.

The light rail routes that go through downtown Denver were suspended during the deadly accident investigation.

In:
• Colorado Convention Center