On the freeway, the one belting downtown, I am sent to find a woman walking along the center jersey barrier. She's not on the DOT cameras, but I find her a half mile from the split on downward slope of a blind curve.
Flipping on my lights, I parked ahead of her in the three foot wide break down lane, and walk towards her, hands up.
Hey. I smile. You are in a bad spot. Can I give you a lift off the freeway? I motion to the back door.
She says. "I'am trying to get off the circle."
I can take you to the east side and you will be far away from the belt line.
She nods and gets in the back of the prowler as cars speed by.
In the car, she asks, "Can you take me to Seattle?
That's a little far, but I can take you to the east side away from downtown.
She says, "Can you please drop me off at the next exit."
Sure, thing.
She's well dressed, not homeless, but a little odd.
As I take the exit to the east side, I ask, Have you been to Sanctuary? It's the local mental health hospital.
"Yes, but I don't like it there. They are not nice to me."
I am sorry to hear that, but can I take you there? It's not problem for me.
No, I am fine. I don't like it there.
Can I take you to another hospital? It would be my pleasure.
No, just drop me off somewhere safe.
I find a quiet street she likes and let her out. I point to the west and say, That is downtown, you want to keep away from there. I point east. There's services a few blocks away and the area is nicer.
She looks both ways, smiles at me, and heads off to the the east.
As I get back in my car and start to pull away, the railroad crossing arms drop and the warning klaxon sounds at the crossing a half-block to the east. I make a U-turn as the woman walks up the crossing arm and waits. Another driver copies my U-turn, blocking my the view in my rear view mirror.
Then, I hear the echoing splat. I turn the car back around.
I say to the other driver, "Did she just step in front of the train?"
He says, "I think so" and drives away.
I run to the train as it brakes. I find her fifty feet down the tracks under a car. Her feet are separated from legs, her head and arm are severed from her shoulder.
