A passenger died late Tuesday at a Red Line Metro station in Hollywood, but no foul play is suspected, according to officials.
Officers responded to the death just before 11 p.m. Tuesday at the Hollywood/Vine station, said Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson Officer Warren Moore. He said there was no evidence of foul play and the case has been turned over to the Los Angeles County Coroner.
The coroner’s office said early Wednesday a cause of death has not yet been determined and identification was pending the notification of the next of kin.
Metro officials said that a Red Line operator was notified about a passenger having trouble breathing and requested that medical personnel meet the train at the Hollywood/Vine station, according to Dave Sotero, a spokesperson for Metro. While the team attempted life-saving measures at the station, they were unsuccessful, Sotero said.
Without a cause of death, Sotero declined to comment further on the case or about ongoing safety concerns at Metro.
Metro trains, buses and stations have seen a recent increase in violent crime and drug use.
More than 20 people this year have died on the county’s public transportation system, most from suspected overdoses, according to an investigation from The Times. That count is already above the total number of deaths on the system from all of 2022.
At least one of those deaths has been ruled a homicide.
According to Metro’s annual report, serious crime in 2022 rose 24% from the year before, and remains on the rise for the start of 2023.
Last month, two people were injured in separate stabbings on the same day at two different Red Line stations.
The agency is working to improve security and address safety issues, including launching a new ambassador program last summer and most recently considering forming its own police force.