Man killed when hit by Gresham MAX

February 18, 2010

By Donna Millsap
Oregon Herald staff reporter

GRESHAM – A man was killed when he was struck by a MAX train in Gresham last night. The accident occured at the intersection of 212th Avenue and Burnside around 10:15 p.m. The victim was 32-years old, but authorities have not released his name, pending notification of relatives.

The man was apparently walking in an area where trains travel at speeds up to 45 miles an hour. Police say he was standing between the rails in a poorly-lit section of the tracks and may have been a transient, police said.

The MAX operator said that by the time the pedestrian was spotted, it was impossible to stop the moving train in time to prevent hitting him.

The victim died at the scene, police said. The train that struck him was a westbound Blue-line MAX.

The train route was closed down for several hours during the investigation and buses shuttled riders to their destinations.

“He was standing erratically,” said Lt. Tony Silva with Transit Police. “Alcohol may be a factor in this, but we don't know yet."