Grand Junction, CO : Van driver apparently timed fatal collision with RTD A-Line train, Aurora police say on Tuesday, February 14th 2017

A man killed in a train collision early Tuesday may have intentionally driven his van in front of the speeding University of Colorado A-Line train en route to Denver International Airport, police said.

Fifty-six people were aboard the train at the time. Four were injured in the crash, including one person who was taken to the hospital.

The collision happened at 3:49 a.m. at Chambers and Smith roads.

“When he sees the train he slowly rolled out in front of the train,” said Chris Amsler, spokesman for the Aurora Police Department. “We are investigating whether the collision was an intentional act.”

An off-duty police officer posted at the crossing because of recent timing issues related to the A-line’s at-grade crossings went from desperately attempting to wave off the driver to running for his life as shards of metal from the demolished vehicle flew toward him, Amsler said.

“The officer is out there yelling and waving his arms, trying to get him to stop. And then a ton of debris was flying at our officer,” Amsler said. “He had to run to get out of the way.”

The A-Line train was heading east on the track when the red lights flashed and an alarm sounded, signaling the imminent arrival of a train headed toward Denver International Airport, Amsler said.

The van driver drove past the area where the gates came down and stopped the car. As the train got closer, he began slowly driving toward the tracks.

The train T-boned the van and pushed it about a quarter-mile down the track. It wasn’t immediately known how fast the train was traveling at the time, but the train can reach speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour along some stretches.

The van driver, whose identity has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene. Adams County Coroner’s office workers responded to the scene and took the body away.

Source :
Van driver apparently timed fatal collision with RTD A-Line train, Aurora police say