A man in his 60s was struck and killed by a Metro Gold Line train in Highland Park on Thursday morning, turning a rush-hour commute into a crime scene at a busy neighborhood crossing.
The collision happened on the 100 block of North Avenue 61, where the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency crews shut down parts of the roadway and the rail right-of-way while they worked.
LAFD ALERT- Highland Park Gold Line TA, Vehic 100 N Av 61 MAP: https://t.co/TAKatnLbmM FS12; DETAILS: https://t.co/GovM7E2Dfv
— LAFD 🔥 (@LAFD) May 7, 2026
According to the initial alert from the LAFD, the call came in at about 7:17 a.m. and was logged as incident number inc#0339. Crews from Fire Station 12, engine companies E12, E250 and E55, and ambulance EM1 responded. Fire officials said the victim, described as an approximately 60-year-old man, was determined to be deceased at the scene.
Service Disruption And Rider Reports
Morning riders quickly realized something was wrong. Commuters reported trains turning back at South Pasadena and said a bus bridge was being set up after the crash, according to a rider discussion on Reddit.
Social posts indicated Metro referred to the stoppage as a “train-person” incident, transit-speak that usually means a serious collision. Riders were advised to monitor Metro alerts for up-to-the-minute service changes and alternate routes.
Why This Stretch Matters
The Gold Line cuts through much of Northeast Los Angeles at street level, threading past homes, businesses and schools where trains, cars and pedestrians share close quarters. That setup has long raised safety concerns in neighborhoods like Highland Park.
Previous reporting in the Los Angeles Times documented collisions along the corridor and highlighted calls for more gates, tighter speed limits and other protections along these urban stretches of track.
Investigation
Exactly what led up to Thursday’s collision has not yet been disclosed. Metro notes in its safety materials that law enforcement and transit agencies typically coordinate on serious train incidents, examining factors such as equipment, signaling and potential trespassing as part of the investigation.
Authorities are asking anyone who saw the crash or has information to contact the Los Angeles Police Department. Non-emergency tips can be submitted through the LAPD website or by calling 1-877-ASK-LAPD. Officials have not yet released the man’s name.
