Bellingham Police investigating fatal train-pedestrian collision
A BNSF train hit and killed a pedestrian just south of Boulevard Park about 12:40 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, shutting down rail service through Bellingham and closing several rail crossings south to Fairhaven.
Bellingham Police confirmed that a man was hit by a train and killed. Age of the victim wasn’t disclosed.
Railroad tracks through Bellingham were blocked by the train, which was stopped with its locomotive blocking the vehicle entrance to Boulevard Park on Bayview Drive and extended south past the crossing on Harris Avenue in Fairhaven, near the Bellingham Cruise Terminal and the Amtrak station.
A BNSF official told The Bellingham Herald in an email that the rail line opened at 3 p.m. and that the incident is under investigation.
“It was reported that a northbound BNSF train struck a person in Bellingham, not at a designated public crossing resulting, in fatal injuries. No injuries to the crew (were) reported,” said Lena Kent, general director of public affairs.
Nicole Oliver, director of the Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department, said that she believed that the park was open, but that vehicle access might be limited.
There were 26 train-related fatalities in Washington state in 2022, according to the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission, including an Amtrak passenger train striking a pedestrian Nov. 13 in Bellingham.
There were 31 train-related fatalities in the state in 2021, including two in Bellingham, with BNSF freight trains striking pedestrians Jan. 26 and Sept. 26.
Including those three incidents, there have been 11 train fatalities in Whatcom County since 2011.
This story was originally published March 29, 2023 at 2:41 PM.
