Woman hit by train may have been distracted by cell phone

BEAVERTON, Ore. – A woman who was struck by a train in Beaverton Thursday appears to have been distracted enough to miss several warning signs before she was hit.

Witnesses said the woman may have been looking at her cell phone.

Police said the incident occurred on April 20 at around 3:30 p.m. at SW Beaverton Hillsdale Highway and SW Lombard Avenue.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found 26-year-old Cindy Rodriguez next to the railroad tracks.According to police, she had sustained “serious life threatening injuries.”

Rodriguez was taken to the hospital and is still being treated.

The Beaverton Police Department wrote the following in a statement:

“The cause of this tragedy looks to be distraction on the part of the victim. The investigation is showing that all of the warning devices were active before the time she began crossing the roadway in the crosswalk with the rail crossing arm down at the outer edge of the crosswalk. The horn and bells were being used by the train, and the conductor was on the walkway of the engine yelling at her to get her attention.”

Officers said the engineer and conductor did all they could to get the woman’s attention and stop the train.