CAMARILLO : Man Dies After Lying in Train’s Path

A Woodland Hills man killed himself Wednesday by lying in the path of an Amtrak passenger train near Lewis Road and Merritt Avenue in Camarillo, authorities said.

Timothy Norelius, 30, died instantly, Ventura County coroner’s investigator Dale Zentzis said, adding that the 9:36 a.m. incident is being treated as suicide.

Norelius is survived by his wife, Laura, and two children, aged 7 and 2.

It was the second train fatality in the Camarillo area in just over a week.

On Jan. 13, 78-year-old Phyllis Gilbert of Camarillo drove her car into the path of an Amtrak passenger train at a crossing on Las Posas Road at 5th Street near Camarillo.

Witnesses told police that the woman, who was traveling south on Las Posas, appeared to stall on the tracks after her brakes locked.

Authorities said a witness saw Norelius park his Ford pickup truck alongside the tracks before he walked into the path of the Los Angeles-to-Santa Barbara train.

The train engineer, who did not wish to be identified, said the speeding train was a very short distance from the man when he ran onto the tracks and lay on his back, with his neck on the rail.

The emergency brake was applied, the engineer said, but it took the six-car train, which was traveling about 55 m.p.h., about two-tenths of a mile to come to complete stop.

The victim was thrown about 60 yards, authorities said.

The incident resulted in the closure of the tracks for about 45 minutes, authorities said.