Pedestrian fatally struck by LRT train in Waterloo

A 49-year-old man has died following a collision involving an LRT train in Waterloo on Saturday night.

On Sunday afternoon, the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) reported it believes the man was walking on the tracks when he was struck by an LRT ION train travelling north.

Emergency services worked to extract the male who was trapped under the train, police said.

Police said the man was pronounced deceased at the scene.

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According to police, there were no passengers on the ION train at the time of the collision.

The rail line and Bearinger Road, between Albert Street and Parkside Drive were closed for several hours while police investigated.

Grand River Transit (GRT) said in a tweet at 12:21 a.m., ION light rail service was not running due to a collision. ION replacement shuttle buses were running between Conestoga Station and Fairway Station.

Service resumed around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.

This is the second LRT crash involving a pedestrian in the last week.

On Wednesday, a youth was airlifted to hospital in Hamilton with life-threatening injuries after being hit by an LRT train in Kitchener.

The crash happened just after 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday in front of Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute on Charles Street East. The victim was identified by his family as 16-year-old Keelan Zondervan. His mother says he is recovering in hospital.

FATAL CRASHES

This is not the first time a pedestrian has been fatally struck by an LRT train.

On Jan. 4, 2020, a pedestrian was fatally struck around 5:00 a.m. in the area of Columbia Street West near Phillip Street as the train was heading southbound.

Police said a 40-year-old local area resident was pronounced dead at the scene.

SAFETY TIPS 

Grand River Transit's website provides safety tips for pedestrians crossing near LRT trains. 

• Follow pedestrian signals
• Never go underneath or around a railway gate
• Only cross the tracks at designated crossings and remember to look both ways.
• Remove headphones, look up from devices and listen for signals. ION trains are quiet and may not be heard against typical street noise.