PHOENIX — Police are investigating a deadly incident involving a train in Phoenix overnight.
A pedestrian was reportedly killed when they were hit by a train near 35th Avenue and Indian School Road, police say.
The victim has been identified as a 53-year-old man.
Phoenix PD detectives determined the man was lying on the tracks before the collision occurred and the conductor was unable to stop the train in time.
The incident occurred in an area known for deadly incidents involving both the roadway and the railroad, and ABC15 has extensively covered the dangers of that specific railroad crossing.
In 2018, Phoenix officials agreed to make critical safety upgrades to the railroad crossing. Commissioners had said city, state, and rail officials have failed to follow through on improvements first proposed in August 2013.
The Federal Railroad Administration in 2016 said the crossing at 35th Avenue and Indian School Road had one of the highest incident rates over the last decade. It's among five Arizona sites — all along Grand Avenue — included on an FRA list of the 15 most dangerous crossings nationally.
The 15 crossings had multiple collisions involving trains, automobiles, and pedestrians, and the commission said the 35th Avenue crossing had 25 incidents resulting in nine injuries from 2006-2016.
In 2021, ABC15 also reported on the 10 most dangerous roadways in the Valley, including Indian School Road from 40th Avenue to 3rd Street.
