Train Kills Teen-Ager Playing ‘Chicken’ on Simi Valley Tracks

A freight train struck and killed a teen-ager who was playing “chicken” on the tracks near downtown Simi Valley and failed to leap clear in time, Simi Valley Police said Wednesday.

Kevin McKeogh, 18, was standing on the tracks in the 1600 block of Alviso Street with three or four other young men when a northbound Southern Pacific train approached at 8:51 p.m. Tuesday, Simi Valley Police Sgt. Jim Payne said.

The engineer saw them and sounded the train’s whistle, but McKeogh remained on the tracks a moment longer than the others and was struck by the cowcatcher on the front of the locomotive, police said.

McKeogh was pronounced dead at Simi Valley Adventist Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said.

McKeogh, who was known to Simi Valley police, once gave officers an address in Moorpark but often lived in a cave about 100 feet from the railroad tracks where he was struck, Officer Wayne James said.

Several neighbors said the tracks have long been an after-school hangout for teen-agers.

“There are kids hanging out there all the time,” resident Debi Wheeler said.

“I’ve always felt it was really unsafe to allow the kids to be back there,” said another resident, who requested anonymity.

“But you know kids. They just keep hanging around back there. For the young ones, it’s putting pennies on the tracks or throwing stones at the train. For the older ones, it’s a hiding place where they can smoke and drink and carry on.”