A Union Pacific train struck two pedestrians on the tracks near Grand Avenue in North Sacramento on Friday evening, killing one and leaving the other hospitalized, according to police. The collision happened outside a designated railroad crossing, in the 2500 block of Grand Avenue.
The Sacramento Police Department said officers responded to reports of the train colliding with two pedestrians in that area, according to KCRA. Union Pacific reported that the crash happened around 5 p.m., while ABC10 reported the strike occurred just before 5:45 p.m. Per Union Pacific, one of the two people struck was taken to the hospital with serious injuries and was listed in stable condition, while the other was pronounced dead at the scene.
The train crew was not injured in the incident, and Union Pacific has offered support to the crew members who witnessed the collision. The railroad maintains a dedicated Peer Support and Employee Assistance Program meant to provide immediate, non-judgmental counseling to crews involved in critical incidents or fatal track strikes, per the company's own materials on the program.
Investigation Underway, Identities Not Yet Released
The crash remains under investigation by authorities, and the names of the two people struck have not been released. It is not yet known what led the pair onto the active right-of-way, an open question for investigators looking into the incident near Grand Avenue.
The location fits a pattern researchers have identified nationally. Research evaluated by the California Public Utilities Commission found that roughly 74 percent of all rail trespasser deaths and injuries in the country occur within 1,000 feet of a designated public grade crossing, since pedestrians frequently step onto active tracks near crossings to bypass longer road routes.
California Leads the Nation in Trespass Deaths
The North Sacramento strike adds to a grim statistical picture in California, which recorded 182 rail trespasser deaths and 307 total trespass casualties in 2024 — a casualty figure nearly 2.5 times higher than any other state, according to California Operation Lifesaver. Nationally, preliminary Federal Railroad Administration figures compiled by Operation Lifesaver counted 1,317 pedestrian rail trespass casualties in 2025, including 792 deaths, with California continuing to rank first among all 50 states. Federal data cited by the group shows pedestrian track trespassing and grade-crossing collisions combined account for more than 95 percent of all rail-related fatalities nationwide.
Under California Penal Code Section 369g and Section 369i, entering or walking along railroad tracks or rights-of-way without authorization from the rail operator is a misdemeanor criminal trespass offense, according to Bulldog Law. Law enforcement agencies rely on those statutes to try to keep pedestrians off active tracks that sometimes get used as neighborhood shortcuts.
Nearby Corridor Already Flagged for Safety Upgrades
The city has already identified the surrounding area as a safety concern. According to Getting Around Sacramento, the Marysville Boulevard corridor — including its intersection at Grand Avenue in North Sacramento — has been named a top-priority Vision Zero project corridor, with the city planning pedestrian signals, road diets and sidewalk safety improvements. It remains unclear whether any railroad fencing or additional interventions are planned for this specific stretch of track.
Friday's crash follows a string of similar incidents across the Sacramento region in recent years. In April, a freight train struck and killed a pedestrian along the Roseville Road and Walerga Road rail line in a corridor with a history of trespasser collisions. In November 2024, a pedestrian was fatally pinned beneath a Union Pacific freight train near Florin Road in South Sacramento, triggering a multi-hour shutdown and a joint investigation by Union Pacific and county sheriff's deputies.
