PLEASANT HILL, Calif. -- A 44-year-old Bay Area Rapid Transit track inspector who was hit and killed by a BART train between Pleasant Hill and Concord stations on Tuesday was apparently making routine spot inspections on his own accord, a BART spokeswoman said Wednesday.

James Strickland of Concord had worked for BART since 2001 and earlier that day requested approval to check the tracks in the area, BART spokeswoman Luna Salaver said. Strickland apparently received "simple approval," or permission, to inspect that track area.

"When we issue simple approval, the employee is inspecting, knowing that he is assuming responsibility for himself," Salaver said.

He was struck from behind by a Pittsburg/Bay Point-bound train between the Concord yard and the Concord station around 9:30 a.m. However, the eastbound train was on the San Francisco-bound side of the tracks because BART was reportedly running on a single-track system in the area for maintenance, Salaver said.

According to BART spokesman Linton Johnson, BART protocol does not include letting train conductors know of crews on the trackway, leaving responsibility up to crew members.

BART followed protocol, he said.

Strickland left behind a wife and an 18-year-old son, according to a BART statement. He began as a transit vehicle mechanic for BART in 2001, became a structures equipment operator in 2003, and was promoted to structures inspector in 2006.

He had been recognized for an excellent attendance record and his commitment to BART, the statement said.

No other injuries were reported.

The accident was the first employee fatality for BART since January 2001, when a worker was struck in an underground section of track in San Francisco. Four other BART employees have died on the job in the agency's 36-year history.