Man hit by UP train in Southeast; suffers traumatic leg injury

Published 12:00 am Sunday, September 29, 2024

The report of a “Light Rail Incident” in Southeast Portland sent fire crews and paramedics looking for an injured man, down on the MAX tracks, near S.E. 8th Avenue and Division on August 25, at 12:45 p.m.

Meantime, Central Precinct police officers were dispatched to what was also described as a “TriMet Incident” at S.E. Gideon Street and 11th Avenue. These initial dispatches proved inaccurate, as we soon discovered.

PF&R crews hunted for an injured man near where a trio of westbound Union Pacific Railroad (U.P.) locomotives had stopped near Division Street, with a long freight train behind them. And it didn’t take long for firefighter-paramedics to determine that the victim was actually located along the U.P. tracks, near S.E. 16th Avenue and Brooklyn Street. That’s where crews were drawn by people screaming and shouting for help.

“We’re going to need a tourniquet, there’s one down on the tracks; and we’re going to need a trauma kit here,” a rescuer radioed to other crews. “We do have one patient down on the tracks.”

A PF&R Battalion Chief asked if the patient was pinned under the train. The report back was no, he wasn’t under the train, but just north of the train tracks. “We do have a tourniquet in place, and have a right leg injury,” the emergency responder notified dispatchers.

By 12:58 p.m., the man – now described as having a “severe leg injury” – was readied to be rushed by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment. Due to privacy laws, his condition now remains unknown.

A Portland Police spokesperson confirmed to THE BEE that the incident did take place, but told us that Union Pacific Police were handling the investigation. And so far, the railroad has not responded to our requests for further information.