A man was struck and killed by a Metro A Line train in South-Central Los Angeles Wednesday.
The approximately 40-year-old man was struck about 6:50 p.m. by an A Line -- formerly Blue Line -- train in the 700 block of East Washington Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“I don’t know if he’s dead or not. But he was grabbing my hand for a second. And he just let go,” commuter Jameel Jones said.
The victim's foot was trapped when firefighters arrived. Crews quickly freed him and took him to a hospital, but he was in grave condition, the department's Margaret Stewart said.
The victim was later pronounced dead, according to the watch commander at the Los Angeles Police Department's Central Traffic Division.
“It’s not normal before the stop to stop super suddenly. And then the train went dead quiet... conductor opens up the doors from the outside and says, 'Hey, sorry to inform you guys but we did hit somebody,'” Truth Williams, also a passanger, said.
The man had been walking on the right of way when he was struck, the watch commander said, adding there was no indication the man intended to harm himself.
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The incident halted A Line service between the Grand and Washington stations for about 15 minutes before trains began running again on a single track, according to Metro spokesman Jose Ubaldo.
Buses were also used to help alleviate the passenger backlog, Ubaldo said.
Beverly White contributed to this report.
