Freight train hits pedestrian, nearby FrontRunner traffic delayed

An apparently drunken Halloween reveler was clipped by a slow-moving Union Pacific freight train in West Bountiful early Thursday.

Emergency response crews found the 20-year-old man — wearing unspecified Halloween regalia — conscious, breathing and communicative when they arrived on scene of the accident, near 400 North and 750 West, about 6 a.m., police confirmed.

Little information was immediately available on the victim, other than he was still alive when paramedics arrived and did not sustain what initially were considered to be life-threatening injuries. He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.

Utah Transit Authority spokesman Gerry Carpenter said the crash, though on UP tracks, impacted operation of its FrontRunner commuter rail service nearby. A bus bridge was in effect for commuters between FrontRunner's Farmington and Woods Cross stations from about 6:15 a.m. to 7 a.m., when FrontRunner traffic was allowed to resume.

Union Pacific spokesman Aaron Hunt said the train's crew spotted the man walking on the tracks and did everything it could to avoid hitting him.

"The train crew sounded the horn multiple times as they attempted to stop before impact was made," he said. "This is an unfortunate reminder that railroad tracks are never a safe place to be as a pedestrian, cyclist, motorist or otherwise."

remims@sltrib.com