Summary of MAX Fatalities

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News Date

Description

20 Nov 19, 2007  Nov 24, 2007 Susan C. Dorsey killed near 82nd station-suffered from epilepsy- speculated "was not aware she was walking around and had left the platform."
19 May 16, 2006 Catalino Salazar-Salgado, 51, of Portland died Sunday night after being hit by a MAX train in Greshamg to...
18 September 30, 2005 A 40-year-old woman struck and killed by a MAX train Wednesday night in Gresham was attempting to cross two sets of tracks surrounded by fist-sized rocks, bordered by high curbs and lacking any crosswalk.
17 August 3, 2004 a 47-year-old Southeast Portland man had safely exited a MAX when his power wheelchair inexplicably rolled between the train's two cars
16 June 24, 2003 A 16-year-old Gresham boy was killed Monday night when he was hit by a MAX train on his bicycle at a stop near Northwest Eastman Parkway and Division Street
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October 10, 2002

A woman leaped to her death from the Vista Bridge onto TriMet light-rail tracks along Southwest Jefferson Street about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday
15 February 9, 2002 A man in his late 20s was killed Friday after he got caught between moving MAX train cars near the PGE Park
14 January 6, 2002 Mark Russell Arthur, 43, died when he was struck Friday by a MAX light-rail train in Gresham,
13 October 21, 2001 A MAX train hit and killed a man lying on the light-rail tracks just east of the Beaverton Transit Station on Saturday night.
12 April 10, 2001 Johnston, an engineering program manager at Intel's nearby Jones Farm Campus, died from massive injuries to his head
11 October 12, 1999 A 41-year-old Beaverton man was struck and killed by a MAX train early Monday as he walked along the light-rail tracks...the 16th fatal accident involving MAX trains since Tri-Met opened the system in 1986...... Randy Scott Ruetz is the fifth person to be killed by a MAX train in Washington County since the westside line opened last year.
10 August 3, 1999 A light-rail train struck and killed a pedestrian during Monday's afternoon rush hour at a busy commuter station in Beaverton
09 June 15, 1999 A light-rail train struck and killed a youth Monday afternoon just outside Beaverton, making him the second pedestrian killed by westside MAX in eight days.
08 June 8, 1999 Herbert Lee Johnson Jr., ...was killed about 2:30 a.m. Sunday when he was struck by an eastbound light-rail train while walking on the tracks......Tri-Met figures show that 10 pedestrians have been killed by eastside trains while walking in areas that were off-limits, and one person died after a car and a MAX train collided.
0 7 Sept 20, 1998 (actual) Transient rode bike into side of Westside train. Died five days later. (From Graphic on page D01, Oct 28,1999)

Sept 12, 1998

Westside MAX opens

Nov 1996

North-South LRT looses at the polls

Aug 1993

Ground Breaking for Westside MAX
06 June 22, 1992 (actual date) FY92 Pedestrian walking in ROW 82nd Avenue EB
05 February 26, 1992 A 40-year-old transient was killed by a Metropolitan Area Express train early Tuesday as he walked on the tracks at Northeast 24th Avenue.... He is the fourth person struck and killed by a MAX train.
04 March 23, 1991 Lee Heizer, 26, of Northeast Portland -- the third person killed in MAX's history -- was thrown approximately 100 feet
03 January 16, 1991 Collision w/ vehicle MLK
02 January 1, 1990 Pedestrian walking in ROW 21 & Banfield
01 July 28, 1986 Pedestrian walking in ROW Halsey & Banfield

1986

first day of full revenue service

MAX Death Rate: 1.14,
Motor Vehicle Death Rate:  0.46
 
MAX death rate is 248% that of motor vehicles

Sources & calculations:  
Max deaths = 19; MAX passenger-miles = 1,666,466,432 (through 2006); MAX Death Rate: 19/ 16.66 = 1.14 (per 100 million passenger-miles)
Autonobile deaths rate is from  Portland State's: "Second Annual Portland Metropolitan Region Transportation System Performance Report" , page  47

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