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SALT LAKE CITY — A man who appeared to become impatient was hit by a UTA train Friday morning.
Salt Lake police said the victim was wearing headphones. Witnesses watched in horror as young man in his twenties was hit by a north bound FrontRunner train. Investigators recovered an iPod at the scene near 1700 South and 700 West in Salt Lake City.
A witness said the crossing arms were down and the man appeared to become impatient around 7:45 a.m.
"He crawled under the freight train and started running across the tracks and FrontRunner came flying by at a high speed and just smacked right into the side of him," said a witness that asked not to be identified.
The witness went to help the man, who was severely injured.
"He was conscious," the witness said. "I talked to him. I took my belt off and tied it around his right shoulder, because his arm was missing, and then just stayed there and put pressure on his wounds, and then waited for ambulances to get there."
He was conscious. I talked to him. I took my belt off and tied it around his right shoulder, because his arm was missing.
–witness that asked to not be identified
One of the man's arms was severed and he suffered other injuries. Salt Lake City police say the man may have been distracted while crossing the tracks and witnesses reported seeing him wearing headphones.
"We have recovered an iPod, so he may have not heard that train coming," said Cody Lougy from the Salt Lake City Police department.
The man was transported to a hospital in serious condition. Passengers on the FrontRunner that hit the victim were kept on the train for about 90 minutes while police processed evidence at the scene.
UTA said what happened today was avoidable and once again warns the public to pay attention.
"We ask people to stop and obey the traffic signals when the lights are flashing when the arms are down do not cross," said UTA spokesman Remi Barron.
