Monday, July 11, 2005

Blue Line Kills Man in Compton

Man Killed by Blue Line Train in Compton

Los Angeles Times
July 12, 2005

A fast-moving MTA Blue Line train struck and killed a man as he crossed the tracks Monday in Compton, authorities said.

According to Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Bill Heard, eyewitnesses said the unidentified man waited at the intersection of Alondra Boulevard and Willowbrook Avenue for a northbound train to pass. He then started across the tracks and was hit by a southbound train, Heard said.

The 6:33 p.m. accident shut down part of the MTA’s most heavily traveled light-rail line, which runs from downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach. Buses shuttled passengers between the Compton and Artesia stations.

More than 65 people – both motorists and pedestrians – have been killed by Blue Line trains since the line opened in 1990.