California IN BRIEF : PORT COSTA : Train Kills 2 Men Walking on Tracks

Two men killed when a Southern Pacific freight train hit them on tracks near the Contra Costa County community of Port Costa were identified by coroner’s officials as a mentally retarded man and his counselor. Alan Boursse, 39, of the Berkeley area, and Georgio Melloni, 20, of Pinole, died in the accident about 25 miles northeast of San Francisco. Southern Pacific police officer Barry Ballence said two counselors and three clients from a Pinole residential facility were walking along the tracks when the eastbound train rounded a curve behind them. The train engineer saw a man about 100 yards away, walking in the middle of the tracks, with his back to the train, a Southern Pacific spokesman said.