Woman who died saving dog identified

The woman fatally struck by a SEPTA train Friday as she attempted to save her dog has been identified by police.

She was Michelle Rein, 44, of the 100 block of South 22d Street in Center City, according to Lower Merion Township police.

Just before 6 p.m. Friday, Rein was standing on the south platform at the Bryn Mawr station when her black chihuahua, Cass, strayed onto the tracks, which are almost level with the platform.

Moments before, the unleashed dog had been whirling with excitement at the activity in the station.

Rein followed the dog onto the tracks, but as she bent down to scoop up the animal and was standing back up, the train hit her, according to a bystander.

The woman was killed instantly. The train pulled to a stop. The dog popped out from under the train apparently unharmed, and was picked up by a bystander.

The engineer of the train, city-bound on the Paoli Thorndale line, saw her, sounded the horn, applied emergency brakes and slowed the train to about 15 miles an hour, but was unable to stop, said SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch.

The incident shut down the line for about 2-1/2 hours, he said.