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Sandra Yi and Marc Giauque reportingAn accident involving a TRAX train and a semi truck closed a major artery in the center of Salt Lake City this morning. It happened at 400 South and 600 East just before 10 a.m.
Police say the driver of an ACE Hardware semi truck made an illegal left turn in the intersection as the TRAX train was just leaving the stop at Trolley Square on 400 south. The train was heading west when it collided with the truck.
Looking at the scene, and considering there were about 25 passengers on the train at the time, it's hard to believe that no one was hurt. However, the accident did rattle some nerves.
"I felt kind of a jolt, and then I looked out and I saw what had happened. I couldn't believe it," said a TRAX passenger named Dave.
"Your heart's pounding, like, it's just, your life just flashes in your eyes," said Tiffany Montoya, also a passenger on the TRAX train. "Now you know that both the semi and the train are strong, so it's proven here today."
Police say the semi truck's driver will be cited for making an illegal left-hand turn. Utah Transit Authority (UTA) officials say that they estimate the damage to the train and the platform to be in the tens of thousands of dollars.
If you're planning on riding TRAX, the trains are still running, but with a slight delay.
E-mail: syi@ksl.com
E-mail: mgiauque@ksl.com
