SOUTH SALT LAKE -- Police have identified the woman hit and killed by a TRAX train at the Meadowbrook Station Wednesday morning as Delores Betenes.
Betenes, 63, of Salt Lake City, was struck about 7:50 a.m. when she dashed in front of the oncoming train. Witnesses told police they saw Betenes park her car and run toward the platform in order to catch the train, South Salt Lake assistant police chief Beau Babka said. She was hit while using the pedestrian crosswalk to access the train platform. The northbound train had slowed to 22 mph but was moving too fast to avoid hitting the woman, Babka said.Betenes is believed to have died instantly when hit by the train. Rescue crews had to hydraulically lift the car off the tracks in order to remove the woman's crushed body, Babka said. The recovery effort took about five hours, during which time officers were unable to identify the woman.
Police found Betenes' purse, which contained her identification, alongside the tracks. The woman's car keys were found attached to the coupling on the front of the train, Babka said.