A pedestrian died Wednesday morning after being struck by a train near Greeley, Colorado, triggering an hours-long shutdown of railroad crossings in neighboring Evans while investigators worked the scene. The collision happened along the tracks under Highway 34, and for several hours only one crossing in the city remained open to traffic.
According to CBS News, the crash occurred early Wednesday morning, with CDOT traffic cameras capturing an active emergency scene near the Highway 34 underpass. The 42nd Street crossing was the only one left open in Evans for several hours, according to the Denver Gazette, before all crossings reopened by Wednesday afternoon.
Greeley police confirmed that a fatal crash had occurred involving a pedestrian and a train, per the same account. By Wednesday afternoon, police had provided the approximate time and location, the train's direction, and the conductor's account; by Wednesday evening, they had tentatively identified the victim as a 36-year-old man. The Evans Police Department separately announced that railroad crossings at 31st Street and 37th Street would be closed for an extended period due to an active investigation, and a department spokesperson said a news release would follow once more information became available.
A Corridor Built for Heavy Freight
The tracks running through Evans and Greeley form part of a roughly 140-mile Union Pacific main line connecting Denver, Greeley, and Wyoming, running parallel to U.S. 85, according to Weld County's 2045 Transportation Plan. The corridor carries a steady mix of agricultural, industrial, and intermodal freight through the county, and regional planners have also floated the same right-of-way as a potential future segment of the proposed Front Range Passenger Rail system linking northern Colorado to Denver.
Train-pedestrian collisions are not new to the area. Weld County has recorded two train-related fatalities near Nunn in recent years, part of a statewide tally of 36 grade-crossing incidents, four fatalities, and 13 injuries across Colorado in 2025, according to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Nationally, the numbers are far larger: Operation Lifesaver recorded 1,317 pedestrian rail trespass casualties in 2025, and National Safety Council data shows trespasser fatalities made up 651 deaths, or 97% of all non-crossing rail deaths in the country that year.
Why Trains Can't Stop in Time
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission says a train traveling at 55 mph needs a mile or more to stop once emergency brakes are applied, illustrating how difficult it can be for a train to avoid a collision once a pedestrian appears on the tracks. Pedestrians should stay off railroad tracks and use designated crossings. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission advises people not to go around a lowered crossing gate.
Weld County has seen train safety concerns escalate into major incidents before. In late 2022, a freight train struck a parked police cruiser holding a detained suspect on active tracks near Platteville, a case in which officers involved faced criminal charges, as reported by the Denver Gazette.
Greeley's Push to Reshape the Rail Corridor
Just weeks before Wednesday's crash, Greeley had been advancing its own effort to overhaul safety along the same general rail corridor. The city is pursuing a federally recognized quiet zone along its eastern railroad line, a plan that would finally silence train horns at crossings like 8th and 13th Streets. Achieving that status requires up to $2 million per crossing for upgrades including quad gates, medians, and flashing lights, since federal regulations demand strict physical safety measures before horns can be turned off.
For now, the cause of Wednesday's fatal collision remains under investigation, and neither Greeley nor Evans police have released the identity of the person killed. Both departments indicated additional information would be shared as it becomes available.
