GRESHAM, Ore. -- A local mother whose son was hit and killed by a light-rail train in 2003 is continuing her fight for safety at MAX stations just days after a man died in the same spot.

Darla Sturdy's son was killed in the same area where TriMet officials said Jose Lopez Rodriguez, 55, either tripped or fell and became trapped under the train as it came to a grinding halt Sunday night at a MAX stop near Gresham's City Hall.

Sturdy said her son, Aaron, was in the crosswalk on his bike when he was hit by an oncoming train.

"He saw the eastbound train. The eastbound train pulled out and he thought it was OK to cross but didn't realize the westbound train was going to come up behind him," Sturdy said.

Sturdy said she's been working for the last six years to increase safety at MAX stations. She said she wants to start a citizen safety review board that would provide input about new safety measures and educate the public about TriMet safety policies.

"This (MAX train) is coming in pretty fast. That's a fast clip. And that's coming into the station, they need to slow down," she said. "I think (TriMet) should provide what you've provided for the cars. I'd like to see gates."

TriMet officials said they recently completed a study to boost safety at MAX stations, including the City Hall stop in Gresham.

Safety can always be improved, transit officials said, but they stressed the importance of passenger awareness.

"The individual has some responsibility to pay attention to their environment. We try to do everything we can to alert them," said Mary Fetsch, who works with TriMet. "That's why we added the audible (alert and) the light, trying to get people to pay attention. It's really just to remind them they're near the tracks -- pay attention, look both ways."

Sturdy said she hopes to prevent anyone from going through what she did.

"Whether whose fault it is – (whether) it's the pedestrian or the driver -- it's about how do we make it better as a community," Sturdy said.

Related Story:

• November 24, 2009: TriMet Identifies Man Struck By MAX Train

Mom Of MAX Accident Victim Pushes For Safety Measures