A train collision near North Meridian in Puyallup left one person dead and another person transported to a local hospital Wednesday, according to Central Pierce Fire & Rescue, which warned drivers to expect extended delays in the area as crews worked the scene.
Central Pierce Fire & Rescue said crews responded to a train-versus-two-pedestrians incident at 201 N. Meridian, reporting one fatality and one person transported to a local hospital, according to Central Pierce Fire & Rescue
. The agency's post did not provide additional detail on the identities or conditions of those involved, and officials asked the public to steer clear of the area while the investigation continued.
Separate reporting on a February 2026 Puyallup train fatality described a train fatally striking a single pedestrian. As reported by thenewstribune.com, officers were dispatched at 9:02 p.m. to railroad tracks on North Meridian Avenue following a report of a crash involving a train and a pedestrian.
February Collision: Pedestrian Reportedly Went Around Barricades
According to the same report from thenewstribune.com, in the February 2026 collision, a pedestrian walked around barricades and onto the tracks before being struck by an eastbound Amtrak train. The age and gender of the pedestrian remained under investigation, the outlet reported, citing a police release.
Komonews.com placed the February 2026 collision on railroad tracks between North Meridian and Third Street Southeast, describing it as a train-versus-pedestrian collision involving an eastbound Amtrak Cascades train. Per komonews.com, the area was closed to traffic for several hours while investigators examined the scene.
February Collision Roads Reopened Overnight
After the February 2026 collision, traffic restrictions eased gradually as the investigation wound down. North Meridian at Stewart had reopened by 10:45 p.m., though traffic flow remained restricted, the station reported. By 12:32 a.m., investigators and officers had cleared the scene entirely, and all crossings had reopened, according to the same account.
Other Fatal Puyallup Train Incidents
Other Fatal Puyallup Train Incidents Wednesday's collision adds to a troubling pattern of fatal train incidents in Puyallup. A woman was struck and killed by a train near downtown Puyallup on October 18, 2025, in a collision that happened on tracks crossing North Meridian Avenue just north of East Main Street, according to MyNorthwest. Months later, an Amtrak passenger train fatally struck a pedestrian on North Meridian Avenue, between North Meridian and Third Street Southeast, on February 11, 2026, as previously reported by Hoodline.
The pattern extends beyond Puyallup's city limits. A driver died in September 2025 after an Amtrak train struck his vehicle at Sumner's Maple Street crossing, and a Sounder commuter train fatally struck a pedestrian at Kent's James Street crossing on August 2, 2026, according to Hoodline's earlier coverage of regional rail safety.
State-level data underscores the broader risk along Washington's rail corridors. Washington ranked 12th nationally in total railroad trespass casualties in the cited year, with 33 total pedestrian casualties including 17 deaths and 16 injuries, according to hoodline.com. Separate federal reporting compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation tracks trespassing incidents and fatalities both at and outside highway-rail grade crossings nationwide.
No details on charges or further investigative findings from Wednesday's collision have been released. Central Pierce Fire & Rescue has not provided additional updates beyond its initial post describing the fatality and the hospital transport.
