Update: Muni operator unaware man was fatally struck by train

A San Francisco Muni train operator had no knowledge they had ran over a person early Sunday morning in the Bayview neighborhood, transit officials said.

A man was fatally struck at 1:17 a.m. by a two-car T-Third light rail vehicle on the line’s last stop at Bayshore Boulevard and Sunnydale Avenue, according to Erica Kato, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.

Kato said:

“While the train was stopped and waiting for the light at the last stop at the end of the line, a person waiting on the platform approached the train and attempted to open the doors. The person then climbed over the train’s safety straps and sat on the coupler between the trains.”

As the train was turning back to toward the train yard, the person fell off and was struck by the second car, Kato said.

Another operator reported the body on the trackway.

The scene was cleared by the San Francisco Police Department by 6:57 a.m. Police officials said the victim was an adult male and was pronounced dead at the scene.

SFPD and transit officials are involved in an ongoing investigation.

Jerold Chinn

Jerold serves as a reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief for SFBay covering transportation and occasionally City Hall and the Mayor's Office in San Francisco. His work on transportation has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. Jerold previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization. When not reporting, you can find Jerold taking Muni to check out new places to eat in the city.