Fans gathered Sunday at a memorial near train tracks in Burbank to mourn the loss of a world-famous fitness expert who was struck and killed by a Metrolink train.
Greg Plitt, a bodybuilder, inspirational coach, actor and model, was apparently filming a video when he was struck about 4:05 p.m. Saturday on the tracks at Front Street, just north of the Burbank Metrolink Station, police said.
"A mistake was made. A simple, horrible, horrible, tragic mistake,' said Plitt's friend, Warren Coulter, as he fought back tears.
"Greg was bigger than life. He vibrated at such a really high level in everything he did. He was such a high achiever," Coulter added.
Burbank police said the Metrolink conductor blew the horn, but Plitt didn't react. Plitt was struck by the train and knocked off the tracks.
Burbank Police Sgt. Scott Meadows said there were two other men with Plitt at the time, and one of the men was videotaping Plitt on the tracks.
Police spoke with the two men. They said the men did not have a filming permit and investigators seized the video as evidence.
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Plitt had previously shot a video doing push-ups and lifting weights on the same train tracks.
"He taught me really to take what I learned in the gym and apply it to life," said a fan at the memorial Sunday.
Plitt's success grew after appearing on the Bravo show "Work Out" in 2008. He was featured in a new Bravo reality series that premiered Monday, Jan. 12, called “Friends to Lovers.”
"This is a terrible tragedy. Our thoughts and deepest sympathy are with Greg Plitt's family and friends at this extremely difficult time," Bravo tweeted.
Coulter said he and Plitt would go hiking every week with dogs that Plitt rescued.
“He was the kindest, smartest, one of the most honest people anyone could ever meet. He was really, really an inspiration to a lot of people,” Coulter said.
Plitt was a West Point graduate and U.S. Army Ranger who brought the discipline from the military to his workouts.
"He lived to 37 years to the most that you can ever imagine,” Coulter said. “Greg in his 37 years probably was what most people would do in their entire lives.”
While fans mourned, Burbank police continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding Plitt's death.
"This one seems to be unusual. We do not believe it was a suicide," Meadows said.
Police said they believed his death was an accident based on their preliminary investigation.
