According to the media sources report a motorist was killed and four DART passengers were injured Saturday morning when a Green Line train struck a vehicle at a crossing.
The accident was reported shortly before 9 a.m. just south of Fair Park near Robert B. Cullum Boulevard and Scyene Road.
The train hit the driver’s side of the vehicle, killing the female driver, who was said to be in her 20s. She was the only person in the vehicle.
The girl in the car was identified Melat Mamo according to her Facebook account and friends paying respect leaving a comment how she was outgoing and wonderful.
DART spokesman Morgan Lyons said the vehicle entered the crossing as the crossing arms were coming down.
“If the signals are operating properly, the lights and bells go off approximately 20 seconds before the arms begin to come down,” Lyons said. “That’s when, essentially, the intersection is closed to vehiclular traffic.”
He added that the train’s operator saw the car entering the intersection and went into a “maximum brake mode” in an effort to avoid impact.
“You just can’t stop the train that quickly,” Lyons said.
There were 24 people aboard the train; four of them told officials they had been injured, and paramedics were checking all passengers as a precaution.
A bus bridge was set up between the Lawnview and MLK stations to shuttle rail passengers between the accident scene.
An investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing, DART officials said.
“Our system is safe; our safety record is very good,” Lyons said. “The bottom line is: You can never beat the train.”
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