Metrorail Station Resumes Service After Employee Death
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Earlington Heights Metrorail station was shutdown Monday for more than five hours as police investigated the death of a Miami-Dade Transit employee.
Chopper4 was over the station around 10:15 a.m. and spotted a tarp covered body laying next the tracks at the station which is located at the intersection of NW 21st Avenue and State Road 112.
Miami-Dade police said the employee was working on the tracks when he was struck by a moving train.
"Unfortunately, earlier today we had an employee who was struck by a train and he has passed away," said Karla Damian of Miami-Dade Transit. "Our sentiments go out to the family and everyone there working at the time."
Since the station was closed for most of the day, transit workers used buses to take passengers between the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. station and the Culmer station. They also bussed passengers between the Earlington Heights station and the station at Miami Interntional Airport.
"I was going to take the Metro to the Airport and they told me it was closed," said Metrorail rider Gabriel Paris.
"I was trying to get to the Metro, but they were saying they had an accident," said rider Debbie Saffo.
Miami-Dade Police shut the rail system down in between the Dr. Martin Luther King and Culmer Metro Rail Stations for several hours as they collected evidence from the tracks, removed the victim's body, and interviewed witnesses.
As a result Miami Dade Transit provided north and southbound shuttles to help get riders to their destination free of charge.
In light of the tragedy, Metrorail riders said taking the bus was a small inconvenience, if any at all.
"Not really no," Saffo said. "As long as they are providing service."
"I'm so sorry for the family of that worker," Paris said when asked for his reaction to the news of the fatal accident.
Miami-Dade Police have not released the employee's identity.
