Death of pedestrian in Blue Line train accident ruled as suicide

The death of a pedestrian who was struck by a light rail train in Minneapolis Friday has been ruled a suicide by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office.

The medical examiner on Sunday determined the woman died as a result of multiple blunt force injuries. The office identified the woman as 41-year-old Karen Lynn Fraser of Minneapolis.

A southbound Blue Line train hit Fraser on Friday afternoon near the intersection of E. 35th Street and Highway 55 in Minneapolis. Fraser had been moving eastbound on the tracks and was struck by the train north of the intersection, according to Metro Transit spokesman John Siqveland.

The train operator hit the emergency brakes and slid to a stop in the intersection, Siqveland said. The train blocked traffic on E. 35th Street until the scene was cleared. Replacement ran as a substitute for the light rail train between the Franklin and 46th Street light rail stations.

The train operator was placed on administrative leave and in a routine procedure, took a drug and alcohol test, Siqveland said.

Metro Transit and the Metropolitan Council offer support programs for all of its operators --- formal counseling and a peer support network where operators can talk to experienced operators in a less formal setting, Siqveland said.

"Operators that are involved in incidents, whether it be a fatality like this, or anything out of the ordinary that would maybe shake somebody up, they are offered these services and encouraged to take advantage of them," Siqveland said.

Almost all Blue Line accidents in its 10 years of operations are attributed to motorist, pedestrian, or bicyclist error.