The State : Game on Rails Fatal to Youth

One of three youths who authorities said were playing chicken by standing on railroad tracks near Turlock as a train approached failed to jump off in time and was killed. The youths had been drinking beer alongside the Southern Pacific tracks, Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputies said. All three got on the tracks as a southbound freight approached at about 50 m.p.h., deputies said. The engineer said the train was about 100 feet from the youths when he saw them on the tracks. Two of them jumped off at the last second, but Mark R. Ramirez, 18, of Hughson, a student at Turlock High School, did not get clear and was killed.