EXPECT DELAYS: The Ashby BART station has now re-opened after a woman was struck and killed by a train at around 12:48 p.m. this afternoon. BART has issued an advisory that there is a delay of 15 minutes on the Richmond line.
UPDATE, 3 p.m.: The station has now re-opened. For Berkeley BART riders, a free AC Transit bus bridge has been set up between MacArthur, Ashby and downtown Berkeley stations.
BART Deputy Chief of Communications James Allison said BART riders should be able to use their tickets on the AC buses free of charge.
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UPDATE, 2:44 p.m.: BART officials are saying the person who died at Ashby Station was a woman, and may have been a suicide.
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UPDATE, 2:25 p.m.: The coroner is now removing the body from underneath the train at Ashby Station.
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A person died after being struck by a train at Ashby BART Station. Coroners were seen arriving at the station around 2 p.m.
Right now, there are conflicting accounts from witnesses about how the person wound up on the tracks — one said they jumped onto the tracks, another said they fell after being involved in a fight.
At 12:47 p.m., the person was sighted on the BART tracks at the station, according to BART. "They were apparently struck by a train," said Jim Allison, BART's deputy chief communications officer in a media hotline recording.
Ashby Station is currently closed while BART police investigate the incident.
Only select trains are being allowed to pass through the station. There are major delays for trains traveling between Richmond and San Francisco, as well as from Fremont to Richmond. Most trains are being stopped at MacArthur Station.
Passengers affected by delays may ride on AC Transit between MacArthur, Ashby and Downtown Berkeley BART stations for free by showing their BART tickets.
Follow our Twitter account, @BerkeleyPatch for the latest details from the scene.
Correction: This article originally said that the person who died after being struck by a train at Ashby BART Station was a man, but BART officials say it was a woman. The article has been updated to reflect this.
