Pedestrian Killed by Downtown Shuttle

City police are investigating a fatal traffic collision between a downtown Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) trolley and a pedestrian that occurred Monday evening near the Anacapa Street and Sola Street intersection.

A Michigan resident, 66-year-old Ratan Bahadur Lamichhane, died at a local hospital from a head injury he sustained when he was hit by a MTD trolley while running westward across Anacapa Street’s southbound lane. Sgt. Riley Harwood said that just before the collision, “Lamichhane had been walking with two family members northbound on the east sidewalk of the 1300 block of Anacapa Street, approaching the intersection with Sola Street, while the MTD trolley was traveling southbound in the #2 (west) lane of Anacapa Street.” Shortly before he reached the intersection, Lamichhane ran across the roadway close to the approaching trolley.

Although the trolley driver braked to try to avoid Lamichhane, he was hit and knocked to the ground. Police investigators don’t suspect drugs or alcohol contributed to the incident.