SALT LAKE CITY — A 23-year-old cyclist died Thursday night after he was hit by a FrontRunner train.
Cameron Hooyer, of Salt Lake City, died at the railroad crossing near 900 South and 600 West. He was one of "hundreds" of cyclists participating in a late-night bike ride, said Utah Transit Authority spokesman Carl Arky.
The crossing arms, lights and bells turned on at the crossing before a Union Pacific train passed, followed by a FrontRunner train, Arky said.
The warning signs began operating again about 45 seconds prior to the FrontRunner train passing. Some members of the bicycle group tried to beat the train, and Hooyer was struck and killed about 11:15 p.m., he said.
The train was going 45 mph and couldn't stop in time, according to Arky. Witnesses said the train conductor sounded the horn. He called the death a tragedy but said UTA was grateful that no other riders were killed.
The 999 Ride group describes itself on Facebook as an "all-welcoming social ride that happens every Thursday." The cyclists usually meet at about 9 p.m. near 900 East and 900 South and begin riding around the city by about 10 p.m.
"Everyone is responsible for themselves, responsible for their own personal safety and for abiding by the law," the group's post says.
Arky said he did not know of any prior injuries sustained by members of the group in recent months. He said the agency did not know about the Thursday ride before the accident.
"The operator was shocked to see hundreds of cyclists near the tracks at that hour and several of them trying to cross the tracks and beat the train," Arky said.
Some of the cyclists said the arms raised for more than 10 seconds before lowering again as the FrontRunner train approached.
"Everybody thought it was safe to cross. There was no lights flashing, no bells or anything," said Ashley King, who participated in the ride. "I cross these tracks all the time and even from my standpoint, I thought it was safe to cross."
But Arky said even if the crossing arm raises, it is not safe to cross tracks if the red lights are flashing.
"The flashing red lights dictate when it is safe for vehicles or pedestrians to cross. It does not matter if the crossing arm goes up. If the red lights are flashing, no one should attempt to cross the tracks — not until the red lights have stopped flashing," Arky said.
"This is a classic example of another train approaching shortly after the first train has already passed. There is a reason why those lights continue to flash and to ignore the warning signs it to put yourself at great peril, literally putting your life at risk."
Daniel Hanna, another participant in the weekly rides, said group members were grieving for Hooyer, a recent graduate of the University of Utah who just started teaching design classes at the U.
The 999 Ride on its Facebook page urges cyclists to "stay away from trains and active railroad crossings," noting they can be "extremely dangerous" for those on bikes.
Contributing: Ladd Egan