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Man fatally struck by TRE train believed to be homeless
A man was killed Wednesday morning after being struck by a TRE train near Medical Market Center Station. The victim, a black male of unknown age, was trespassing on the tracks that went over a creek near the station at 7:40 am.
DART spokesman Mark Ball says the man was not wearing shoes and is believed to have been homeless. His death is still under investigation.
“We don’t know if he did it on purpose or just got caught on the tracks at the wrong time,” Ball says. “When the train came by, there was no other opportunity for him.”
“We don’t know if he did it on purpose or just got caught on the tracks at the wrong time,” Ball says. “When the train came by, there was no other opportunity for him.”
The TRE train was carrying passengers westbound to Fort Worth when it fatally struck the man.
“All the people onboard are eyewitnesses,” Ball says.
DART police are working with Dallas Police Department to conduct interviews with the passengers, who have now been taken from the scene of the accident to the Downtown Irving Station.
“They are all going to be late to work this morning,” Ball says.
At 8:05 am, DART issued a rider alert about a delay due to “an accident investigation” involving a westbound TRE train. A bus is now shuttling passengers between Medical Market and the Downtown Irving stations. Ball said there have been at least two suicides this year on DART tracks.
“We don’t talk about those because when we do, someone else does it,” he says. “It’s a bigger problem than you’d imagine.”
The holidays are a particularly vulnerable time.
“Every year, people lay down on tracks during Christmas and New Year’s,” Ball says. “It’s pretty sad. Our mental health system in the U.S. is falling apart.”