Light rail service in South Seattle was temporarily halted on Friday evening due to what Sound Transit officials said was a “Link-involved accident.” Two pedestrians were struck and killed by a Link light rail train.
Seattle police said the train struck the pedestrians while they were crossing in a crosswalk during a “Don’t Walk” signal.
At 6:20 p.m. police were called to the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and South Alaska Street.
Firefighters at the scene reported that two people had to be pulled from under a light rail car.
Police said a 76-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene while a 66-year-old man was taken to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition where he later died from his injuries.
All lanes of traffic at the intersections were closed, and drivers in the area were told to find an alternate route of travel, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation.
People on the train were transferred onto a shuttle bus so they could continue their journey.
Detectives from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad were called in to conduct the investigation.
"We saw an arm come up from the train." These two light rail passengers describe the moment their train struck someone. Two people were hit & killed trying to cross during a "Don't Walk" signal at the intersection of MLK Jr Way/Alaska St, according to SPD. @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/AGbzfIfObq
— Kevin Ko (@NewsWithKevin) July 3, 2021
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