Car Runs Red Light, Collides With Expo Line Train Late Sunday Morning

Some people just can't wait for the train to pass. 7th Street was closed to traffic at Colorado Blvd late Sunday morning, as a result of a train v. car collision.

A Westbound Expo line train passing 7th Street on Colorado in Santa Monica collided with the rear end of a passenger car, according to an MTA employee who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

"The car ran a red light," he said. "We don't know if anyone was injured in the car or not, because it was a hit-and-run situation." He declined to say whether anyone on the train had been injured.

After about 10 minutes, the train continued on its way. About a dozen Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department deputies, Santa Monica police, and MTA employees continued to investigate the accident at the intersection for a few hours.

The Expo Line is a light-rail line that runs between Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica. The line is named "Expo" after Exposition Boulevard, which it runs alongside for most of its route. It is one of the six lines in the Metro Rail system, and is operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).

The Expo Line largely follows the right-of-way of the Santa Monica Air Line, which ceased operation in 1953. Several Expo Line stations are built in the same location as Air Line stations, although no original station structures have been reused. It reopened in Santa Monica in April, 2016. Some residents believe it has caused a large number of accidents and a crime wave in Santa Monica, though officials say the statistics do not support this belief.