Police ID pregnant woman killed in collision with FrontRunner


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SALT LAKE CITY — A pregnant woman was killed Monday night when the car she was a passenger in was hit by a FrontRunner train.

Her unborn baby girl was delivered and survived but was listed in very critical condition at an area hospital Tuesday, said Salt Lake police detective Greg Wilking.

The incident happened about 8 p.m. Monday near 900 South and 600 West. A car, driven by a man with the woman in the passenger seat, drove around the crossing arms that were down, and the vehicle was hit by the train as they attempted to cross the tracks, according to Utah Transit Authority spokesman Remi Barron.

Kaipa ʻOfa KiʻUiha Kinikini, 30, was declared dead at the scene.

Salt Lake Police Lt. Mike Hatch described the woman's pregnancy as "full term," but Wilking did not know Tuesday how far along Kinikini was with her pregnancy.

Kinikini's older sister, Masina Tuifua, said later Tuesday that her newborn niece was "doing good, from what we know so far." Tuifua said the rest of Kinikini's 10 siblings are rallying around the small child and Kinikini's six other children.

"Losing my sister is a tragedy," she said. "She can never be replaced. But out of it, she brought an angel that (we will) be watching over with the rest of her six kids."

The man, believed to be the father of the baby, was taken to a local hospital in serious but stable condition. His name was not immediately released.

Investigators were looking at impatience as possibly being the reason the man drove around the crossing arms, according to Wilking.

The train was out of service and headed to Provo to prepare for the morning commute, he said. Only the conductor, who was not injured, was onboard.

Tuifua remembers her sister as being full of love and happiness.

"She lived life — not the way we do," she said. "She lived life the way she wanted to. She was just so outgoing. Everyone that knew her remembers her by her silly laugh."

Tuifua said Kinikini's sudden death serves as a reminder of some important life lessons.

"Cherish the ones you love," she said. "Don’t hold a grudge."

Contributing: Ben Lockhart

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