A woman was pinned under the front of a Metro ExpoLine train near USC just before midnight, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman said today.
The accident was at the Vermont/Expo station, at Vermont Avenue and Exposition Boulevard, and it took place about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, said Metro spokesman Luis Inzunza.
“A trespasser was struck by a coupler on the train and pinned under the engine,” Inzunza said. The coupler connects rail cars together on the train and this coupler was in the front of the engine, he said.
The woman was freed and transported to a hospital for treatment of her injuries, according to Inzunza. Her medical condition was unavailable under federal privacy laws.
The Metro spokesman said it was unclear what she was doing on or by the tracks when she was struck. Expo Lines stop for passengers at the intersection, and there are regular street crosswalks that extend across the rails at the intersection as well.
People are not allowed to walk across the tracks except in the crosswalks, and while it was not clear where the pedestrian was when she was hit, Inzunza called her a “trespasser.”
The Expo Line experienced delays after the accident and the track was finally cleared about 12:30 am, according to the MTA.
