Woman dragged to death by San Francisco train while attached to her dog

In a tragic accident in San Francisco on Monday, a woman who had a dog tethered to her waist with a leash was dragged to death by a train.

The accident occurred at Powell Street Station at about 3.16 pm on 13 September, with a spokesperson for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) saying officials are investigating the fatal incident.

Transit officials told the media that the 41-year-old woman, Amy Adams, had boarded a Dublin/Pleasanton bound train with her dog. At the very last second, “right as the doors were closing, she fully off-boarded the train, clearing the doors, and the dog did not”, a spokesperson said.

Officials and witnesses said Adams appeared to be waving at someone before she was dragged away.

The train departed with the dog still inside, and the woman was “dragged and pulled onto the tracks”.

The dog was not injured, the officials said.

Alicia Trost, the BART spokesperson, said in a statement: “This is a tragic loss of life, and we are following all safety protocols.”

The officials are also investigating if the dog was a service animal, while adding that “there was no visual indication” that this was the case.

Pets that are not service dogs are required to travel in a secure, enclosed carrier on the BART system, the LA Times reported.

The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the case.