Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WEST JORDAN -- The death of a 15-year-old girl who was hit by a TRAX train in West Jordan Wednesday afternoon has nearby residents asking, is there a serious blind spot for pedestrians at the intersection?
If you visit the scene of the accident, it becomes clear exactly what happened.
Shariah Casper and her cousin were looking to cross near the intersection of 3200 West and 8600 South. They saw an eastbound train go by but never saw the westbound train. Shariah was struck by the westbound train and killed.
At the location of the accident, friends and family have left posters, signs and candles. One sign, from her cousin, says, "I'm so sorry, I tried to jump in front to save you, but it happened in a blink of an eye.
UTA says the design for the intersection is one commonly used in Utah and by many transit agencies nationwide.
"It really was a tragedy, and that's one of the dangers of any railroad crossing if you have more than one track is that there may be more than one train," said UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter. "It's always important to remember that trains can go in either direction at any time. They're very quiet, they travel very quickly and you just need to make sure you stay clear of the rail right of way."
But neighbors and others who came to the site of the accident Friday raised questions about whether there's enough signage, and about the configuration of the crossing -- particularly a tall sound wall on the northeast corner of the intersection where Casper was hit, which blocks the view of westbound trains.
"It's still shocking," said Gina Martinez, a classmate of Sharia Casper's. "Looking over there and knowing that she's gone, it's hard. It's still shocking."
At some TRAX crossings, like the one at Pioneer Avenue and 190 East in Sandy, a gate plus additional fencing have been added.
KSL asked UTA if they plan to explore that option here. Carpenter says every option is on the table right now. He says safety is the top priority and UTA plans a "top-to-bottom evaluation of safety on this line," which is set to open in August.
Testing of the line starts again next week.
Email: jdaley@ksl.com
---
