At about 2:20 this afternoon, a woman attempting to cross E Burnside on SE 181st Avenue was hit by a MAX train. The woman remained conscious at the scene and sustained non life-threatening injuries (a possible broken leg).
According TriMet spokesperson Bekki Witt, they believe the woman on the bicycle was heading southbound when she heard the audible warnings going off and saw a westbound Blue Line MAX train pulling into its station to her right. When she proceeded forward through the intersection, she was struck by the eastbound train. “She thought it was the westbound train, but didn’t see the eastbound train coming,” said Witt, basing her information on witnesses and police interviews taken at the scene.
The MAX has a “split station” at this location where the eastbound train stops at a platform to the east of the intersection (to the woman’s left) and the westbound train stops at a station to the west (on the woman’s right).
There were 50 people on the train and the line was delayed 40 minutes. Witt says standard policy in these situations is for the operator to be immediately relieved of duty and given a blood/urine test. We’ll keep you updated if necessary.