A civil lawsuit filed against the Regional Transportation District by a man who was hit by a commuter rail train was settled last week for an undisclosed amount, according to court records.
Paul Aguilar sued the RTD for negligence in May 2025, after he was hit by one of the agency’s A Line trains while crossing the tracks at Aurora’s Peoria Station three years earlier.
The lawsuit also named , claiming that the train operator’s “reckless, careless and negligent operation” and the “dangerous condition of the Peoria station” both contributed to the crash.
All parties reached a settlement agreement in January, and the case was officially dismissed March 25, according to court records. The agreement is confidential.
“RTD is aware that there was a resolution to this case and will not comment on the terms of the agreement,” RTD Public Relations Manager Tina Jaquez said in an emailed statement to The Denver Post. “Maintaining safety throughout the transit network is paramount for RTD, and the agency continues to employ the highest level of safety practices on the system.”
Aguilar was waiting in his wheelchair at the train crossing’s pedestrian gates on June 1, 2023, when he saw flashing lights and heard alarms advising that a train was on the tracks, according to the lawsuit. He watched a westbound train leave the station, opened the unlocked pedestrian gates and started to cross, unaware that an eastbound train was also pulling in, the lawsuit stated.
The sign warning pedestrians of the approaching train was blocked by another sign placed directly in front of it, and the sounds and alarms accompanying the incoming train were the same ones used for the train pulling out, the lawsuit alleged.
Aguilar was hospitalized for more than three weeks after being hit by the train, according to the lawsuit. He fractured his hip, clavicle, neck, back and both legs.
The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice by Denver District Court Judge Mark Bailey, meaning that Aguilar will not be able to sue over the same case or claim again.
