Crew filming Greg Plitt on train tracks wasn’t permitted, officials say

Fitness model and actor Greg Plitt was killed Saturday after getting struck by an oncoming Metrolink train in Burbank while he was shooting a video on the railroad tracks.

Just after 4 p.m., the 37-year-old was struck north of the Magnolia Boulevard overpass in Burbank by a southbound Metrolink train carrying 180 passengers. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Plitt and the two others in his film crew did not obtain a film permit and were not authorized to be there, according to Metrolink spokesman Jeff Lustgarten.

Metrolink has a permitting process for those interested in shooting photos or videos on the tracks, for which the agency gets at least a couple requests a month.

The permitting process, which Lustgarten said typically takes a couple of weeks, includes a pre-shoot site visit and safety briefing. Additionally, a flagman who knows the train schedule must be present during the entire shoot to warn the crew of oncoming trains.

“The whole purpose of process is to ensure everybody’s safety,” Lustgarten said.

The train conductor and engineer reportedly saw Plitt on the tracks and sounded the horn multiple times.

Depending on the length of the train, it could take up to a mile to make a complete stop. Metrolink trains on that stretch of the railroad typically travel around 60 mph.

“Unfortunately, by the time [the] engineer sees the individual or car on the tracks, there isn’t a whole lot we can do other than sound the horn and hope that that individual or car is off the tracks before the train arrives,” Lustgarten said.

Police reviewed the video footage captured by a train camera before Plitt’s death. However, as the train gets closer, it’s unclear exactly what Plitt was doing due to the elevation of the camera, said Burbank Police Lt. Eddie Ruiz. He added that the video taken by the film crew has not yet been reviewed.

Plitt filmed a fitness video on the tracks in 2013.

According to Plitt’s website, he has appeared on more than 250 fitness magazine covers and in several films, including “The Good Shepard,” Terminator Salvation” and “Grudge Match,” and TV shows, including Bravo TV’s “Workout.” He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

A railroad-side memorial that formed at the scene of the collision included candles, flowers and fitness gear.

Plitt’s friends told the Los Angeles Times that he was filming a video for his website when he tripped and was struck by the oncoming train.

Plitt’s girlfriend, Christina Stejskal, told the Times he was “just trying to get the best shot.”

“He wanted to push things to the limit,” Stejskal said. “He’s just like Superman.”