AURORA, Colo. – Aurora Police believe the driver of a van intentionally drove onto the RTD commuter line tracks before a Tuesday morning fatal collision.
The unidentified driver of the passenger van was killed when the vehicle collided with the A Line train at the intersection of Chambers and Smith Road around 3:30 a.m.
Aurora Police said the crossing arms were up when the driver moved up onto the tracks at the intersection. Police said an off-duty officer with the department and a civilian flagger were monitoring the intersection at the time of the incident. The officer attempted to stop the van from entering the intersection, police said. The officer narrowly avoided being hit by flying debris.
The train was headed east toward Denver International Airport when it hit the van, dragging it 500 feet or so. The driver of the van was pronounced dead at the scene.
Four passengers on the train suffered minor injuries. One of the passengers was transported to a local hospital; three others were treated and released at the scene.
The A Line has been plagued with signal timing issues since the Train to the Plane began operations spring of 2016.
UPDATE: Chambers Road will remain CLOSED until midnight tonight. Alt North/South routes are Sable, Airport and Tower Road. https://t.co/mepytjOt8P
— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD) February 15, 2017
RTD was using buses to transport A Line passengers through the area. Aurora Police said its investigators would likely be on scene for most of the day. The Federal Railroad Authority is assisting in the investigation.
Stay with Denver7 and thedenverchannel.com for the latest on this developing story.
---------
Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.