A 45-year-old man was killed Monday evening after being struck by a train near 76th Street Northeast and State Avenue in Marysville, in the city's second fatal train-pedestrian collision this year. Police responded to the scene and shut down railroad crossings for hours while they investigated.
According to KOMO, possible drug use may have contributed to the collision, and police say the circumstances remain under investigation. As lynnwoodtimes.com reported, the crash blocked crossings between 80th Street Northeast and 88th Street Northeast, though the train began moving again by 6 p.m. and traffic started to recover.
The same outlet notes this marks the second fatal train-and-pedestrian collision in Marysville this year. On Sept. 8, a 73-year-old man died after a passenger train struck him just north of Grove Street.
A Troubling Pattern Along the Tracks
Pedestrian fatalities along this stretch of BNSF tracks have occurred repeatedly in recent years, including several in 2021, 2022 and 2024, per the same lynnwoodtimes.com account. Local officials have discussed grade-separation projects and quiet-zone upgrades meant to cut both traffic backups and risk, but most crossings in the city still sit at street level.
The danger isn't limited to people on foot. In a separate Marysville incident described by fox13seattle.com, a driver left State Avenue near 89th Street, crossed a grassy area and struck the side of a northbound train — the vehicle was dragged nearly a mile before it came loose near 104th Street.
Police Ramp Up Rail Safety Patrols
Monday's crash comes as Marysville police planned targeted patrols at railroad crossings throughout the city, focusing on education, visibility and enforcement, as reported by KOMO. The effort ties into Operation Clear Track, a nationwide rail safety initiative scheduled for Tuesday.
Officials are urging people to stay off railroad tracks entirely, obey crossing signals and warning devices, and never attempt to beat a train through a crossing. Those messages echo the same safety guidance KOMO relayed following Monday's fatal collision, as investigators continue working to determine exactly what happened near 76th Street Northeast and State Avenue.
