Woman struck, killed by light rail train in St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - A woman was struck by a Green Line light rail train and killed Thursday morning in St. Paul, Minn. The accident happened just after 11 a.m. along University Avenue at Hamline Avenue.

Metro Transit spokesman Howie Padilla said the woman was hurrying through the designated crosswalk before she was struck, but there's no way to know if she was distracted or if it was an intentional act.

“For whatever reason (she) did not see, did not hear the warning signals, which at this time we believe were operational,” Padilla said.

The eastbound train stopped during the investigation, shutting down the Green Line for about an hour.

“Next thing I know I heard a sound of the scraping of the train driver trying to stop and I heard a bump,” said David Roundtree, a passenger on the train.

This is the third pedestrian death since the Green Line opened in June 2014, and the 11th pedestrian incident since the line began testing in April 2014.