Woman killed after she was struck by Amtrak train near Pittsburgh's East Busway

A woman was hit and killed by an Amtrak train in Edgewood on Wednesday morning. 

The Allegheny County Police Department is investigating the death of the woman, who was identified by the medical examiner as 23-year-old Akelia Lobban.

The exact reason she was hit on the track isn't known yet, but Zach Smith, a nearby business owner, said people are constantly using the tracks as a shortcut. 

"I already started work, and at that time, a bunch of police officers showed up," Smith said. 

Smith said what he heard and saw shortly after the woman was hit and killed had him curious as to what was going on. 

"At that point, I went to see what was going on, and I noticed a train stopped down the street, and put two and two together, and assumed what happened." 

The incident closed both rail lines and Pittsburgh Regional Transit's Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway for two hours before everything was reopened just before 10:30 a.m. 

"I know people jump the track all the time to get to Edgewood Town Centre," Smith said. "They'll cross the busway, they'll cross the train tracks, and do that stuff." 

Also along the tracks at Pennwood Avenue is a memorial to a man named Joey Gray. Gray, just 19 at the time, was struck by a freight train in 2010. Investigators said back then that he was wearing headphones at the time of impact. 

The investigation into Lobban's death is ongoing.