This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
West Valley City • A man died Monday morning beneath the wheels of a TRAX train — becoming the fifth fatality this year involving TRAX, according to the Utah Transit Authority.
Clarence Shafer, 57, of Murray, was apparently trying to change trains at a West Valley City TRAX station when he fell from the platform between two train cars. He ended up underneath the train as it departed, resulting in his death, police reported.
"We're very concerned about the rate of recent accidents," said Gerry Carpenter, spokesman for the Utah Transit Authority.
Carpenter said there have been a total of 11 accidents involving TRAX this year, but he added that nearly all of them have been on the original TRAX lines and not the new expansion lines.
Monday's fatality happened about 6:50 a.m. at the Redwood Junction station, at 1740 W. Research Way (2770 South), and involved a westbound Green Line train, running from downtown Salt Lake City to West Valley City. The train was at an intersection with a traffic light when the accident occurred, Carpenter said.
The driver, per UTA policy, will undergo standard drug and alcohol testing.
Passenger Ryan Cameron said the victim — who had a bicycle with him — had realized he was on the wrong train at the previous station, but was unable to disembark in time. He rode the train to Redwood Junction and exited with several other people. Many passengers walked west, but the victim went the opposite direction.
Cameron said he looked back to watch the train leave and saw the man's bicycle had fallen on the platform and that the man had fallen between the train and the platform, and that his legs were angled upward.
Cameron shouted that there was someone under the train and ran toward the scene. The train stopped within seconds.
"I ran over to see if he was still moving, but he was completely motionless and clearly beyond life," Cameron said.
It does not appear the man was attempting to cross the tracks, and it was unclear how he fell beneath the train, Carpenter said.
Sgt. Mike Powell of the West Valley City Police Department warned people to avoid distractions on TRAX platforms and to stay behind the yellow line. But he did not indicate that either of those issues factored into Monday's fatality.
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