Speed caused light rail derailment that severed woman’s leg in Aurora

Transportation officials have fired the operator of a light rail train that derailed in suburban Denver – ejecting a woman and severing her leg – after determining the train was going too fast as it approached a curve.

The Denver Post reports the R-Line train was going about 30 mph as it approached a 90-degree bend in Aurora on Jan. 28. Light rail operators are trained to slow down to 10 mph as they approach sharp curves.

Several other passengers besides the woman were hospitalized.

The Regional Transportation District doesn’t have technology that can automatically slow or stop its light rail trains if they’re traveling too fast on a curve. Federal regulations do not require transit agencies to have any kind of speed override safeguards on their light rail systems.