A man who fell off the outside of a Salt Lake City TRAX train and had part of his leg ripped off Friday night died after being taken to a local hospital. Witnesses told authorities the 50-year-old man stood on a metal connector between two train cars when he got on the train at the Library Station near 400 South and 200 East, said Utah Transit Authority spokesman Gerry Carpenter. The train sped west reaching speeds between 25 and 30 mph, Carpenter said. The man, whose name was not released, was thrown or jumped from the train a few minutes later when the two-car train began its turn north onto Main Street, Carpenter said. "He probably panicked and tried to jump off," Salt Lake City police Lt. Scott White said. When the man fell, his leg got lodged under the train and was ripped off below the knee, White said. At the same time the man fell, a second TRAX train traveling south on Main Street began its turn east onto 400 South. The man got stuck between both trains. He slammed into the second train before dropping onto the east side of the tracks, White said. Medical crews responded and transported the man by ambulance to University Hospital. He died about 8:15 p.m., Carpenter said. Police shut down northbound traffic on Main Street near 400 South while they investigated the fatality. The man's beanie hat, jacket and one of his shoes lay near the TRAX train stopped in the intersection. TRAX service between the Gallivan Center and the library was disrupted for three hours, Carpenter said. Other TRAX trains heading to Sandy from 500 South and from the University of Utah to the library remained in service. Carpenter said what the man was doing is called "coupler surfing." The coupler is the metal piece between two train cars that connects them. People riding the train that way is rare. "We have cited individuals for doing this in the past," Carpenter said. The last fatality involving a TRAX train occurred in March when a skateboarder wearing headphones did not see a train and was hit in Midvale near the station at 7800 South, Carpenter said.

[A personal not I knew the man in this story. He had a bad habit of catching rides on the back of truck and outside of trains. When I first met him his coat was coverd with dryed up blood and I ask him how it happened and he told me that he tryed to catch a ride on the cupler on the end of trax and he fell and was hurt. Evidently he was to stupid to learn his lessen, I even tryed to warn him of the danger of what he is doing. I a few months later saw him try to catch a ride on the tail end of a truck and fail. I knew it was not a matter of if but when and his dangeres way of getting a ride would catch up with him and he would kull himself out of existence and I would make this nominatiion .]

Submitted on 01/11/2010

Submitted by: Jeff Lake
Reference: Salt Lake Tribune by Jason Bergreen January 11, 2010

Copyright © 2010 DarwinAwards.com

Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
While incidents involving trains are way too common I think the additional personal details warrant considering this submission. It clearly shows that this guy was more than willing to risk his life (and wasn't very coordinated either). Thanks, Jeff.

James said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
I imagine hobos everywhere will be telling this story around campfires across the country before long! If you MUST ride the coupler, at least have the basic coordination to hang on to something when the train starts moving! Thanks, Jeff!

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