Model Killed By Train - Investigators reviewing footage from a camera mounted on a Metrolink train, which struck and killed model Greg Plitt this past weekend in Burbank, CA, have revealed that the 37-year-old fitness enthusiast may have been attempting to outrun the locomotive before his fatal accident.
According to Officer Joshua Kendrick from the Burbank police, Plitt was running between the rails when before he was hit by a train on Saturday. He said a conductor saw the fitness expert on the track and attempted to alert him about the oncoming train by blowing the horn. But Plitt failed to respond for some reason.
There are claims that Plitt may have fallen on the tracks before he was hit by the train. But Officer Kendrick says it is impossible to corroborate this from the train's video footage.
According to TMZ, Plitt, who was reportedly shooting a commercial for an energy drink, was attempting to make his two-man crew capture footage of him seemingly outrunning the train. But he was struck by the train, which proved to be much faster than him.
Warren Coulter, who has been friends with Plitt for more than a decade, described his death as a "mistake." According to Coulter, who said he has spoken with the crew members that were present when the accident occurred, Plitt was simply trying to get a good footage for the energy drink advert.
Officer Kendrick has revealed that the police will seek to collect the footage that was being recorded by the crew at the scene of Plitt's death to get better insight into the sad incident.
Plitt, who is Airborne and Ranger qualified, graduated from the US Military Academy in West Point, New York. He has graced more than 200 magazine covers and has appeared in several TV shows, including Friends to Lovers and Days of Our Lives.
Plitt seems to have used the same track that he died on in his fitness videos in the past. But Metrolink officials say he had not requested permission to shoot on the tracks on that day. Metrolink spokesman Jeff Lustgarten, who noted that Plitt's death was preventable, explained that "Had the proper channels been followed, this would not have happened."
Plitt's family, who have revealed that they are "devastated" over his death, will host a memorial service for the widely renowned star on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 2:00 p.m. at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills, California.
