Car vs. TRAX train causes minor injuries, downtown delays

An accident involving a Utah Transit Authority TRAX train and a car Friday night caused only minor injuries.

The accident was the 12th so far this year involving a TRAX train, UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter said.

Carpenter said that at about 8:10 p.m., a vehicle was traveling west on South Temple parallel to a TRAX train headed in the same direction. The male driver attempted to make a left turn into the driveway of the Radisson Hotel, 215 W. South Temple, when the car collided with the front corner of the train, and was dragged a short distance.

Three men in their 20s were in the vehicle at the time of the accident. The driver complained of minor injuries, Carpenter said, but refused medical treatment. He was cited at the scene for improper turn, as there was no turn lane into the hotel.

Carpenter said at about 9:15 p.m. Friday that all TRAX trains have resumed a normal schedule, with only about a 20 minute delay caused by the accident. He said motorist delays in the area are not significant, and the accident should not affect post-Jazz game traffic.

Of the 12 accidents so far this year, 10 have involved a motorist, Carpenter said, with most caused by an illegal or improper turn, or a vehicle running a red light.

"It's part of a pattern that we are very concerned about," he said. "We are seeing too many incidents that could have been avoided. Any time you are driving downtown near train tracks, you should always expect a train coming from either direction anytime."-Jessica Miller