Legal news for Pennsylvania Personal Injury lawyers—SEPTA inspector was fatally injured by commuter train in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reported police.
Philadelphia, PA (NewYorkInjuryNews.com) – A Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) employee was struck by a train in East Oak Lane Thursday morning, November 5, 2009, announced the Philadelphia Inquirer.
One passenger said that they heard the sounding horn and then heard an unmistakable loud bump from under the train. The SEPTA track inspector was hit and fatally injured at 8:30 a.m. by a R3 West Trenton train which closed the Regional Rail for three hours.
The track inspector was identified as 34-year-old Kevin Sparks, resident of Sharon Hill, who was hit by a southbound train near the Philadelphia-Montgomery County line just south of Melrose Park station. Kevin Sparks was a SEPTA employee for 8 years as part of the team that inspects the tracks, which the northbound trains usually utilize. Officials declared that Spark’s injuries proved fatal at the scene.
Officials could not report how fast the train was going at the time of the incident. SEPTA authorities reported that the trains usually switch tracks due to equipment problems, which is a recognized procedure. People who work on the tracks are aware that the trains may change tracks at any given moment.
Police reported that this was the second commuter train incident in the past two days. On Wednesday, one of the commuter train’s four cars broke out in a fire, which forced hundreds of commuters to evacuate and seek alternate forms of transportation. The investigation continues.
Bridget Hom
www.NewYorkInjuryNews.com