Fort Collins police: 72-year-old woman survived being struck by train in Old Town

Brooklyn Dance | The Coloradoan

Show Caption Hide Caption Police: Mason between Mulberry and Myrtle closed due crash involving train, pedestrian Shortly after 3 p.m., a woman was struck by a train in Old Town Fort Collins.

The 72-year-old woman who was struck by a train on Friday is alive and recovering in a hospital, according to police.

The pedestrian, who has not been publicly identified, attempted to cross through the train cars but was struck when the train started up again. Investigators do not believe speed was a factor.

The crash was reported at 3:07 p.m. Friday in front of the Max Flats apartment building near the intersection of Mason and Mulberry streets. Witnesses reported the train left the area soon after.

A witness told the Coloradoan on Friday the train was stopped in Old Town for at least 10 minutes, during which time several people crossed the tracks between the train cars. The witness saw a person trying to cross in between cars just as the train began moving again.

The NoCo Train Alert system, which uses cameras to track trains and alert the public, posted that the train appeared to be a "double coal" train.

The Coloradoan reported in October that train delays have become longer in Fort Collins, in part due to an increase in extra-long trains rolling through the city.

Reports of pedestrians attempting to get around train cars that are stopped inside the city have come to light in recent months, even though it's illegal.

On Sept. 21, a BNSF train stopped on the Colorado State University campus because of a mechanical issue just as football fans were heading to Canvas Stadium. The mechanical problem was fixed quickly, according to BNSF spokesperson Joe Sloan, but the train didn't move because its crew noticed people crawling between cars to get past the train.

CSU police assisted in clearing people from the railroad right-of-way so the train could move on, Sloan stated.

Brooklyn Dance is a breaking news reporter. Contact her at bdance@coloradoan.com or on Twitter @hibrookIyn.