Man Badly Hurt by Train in Tunnel

A 23-year-old man was struck and seriously injured Saturday by a late afternoon freight train as it roared through a railroad tunnel above Chatsworth Park, authorities said.

“It’s not clear whether or not he was riding on the train and fell off, or if he was trespassing in the tunnel when the incident occurred,” said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Authorities were called to the single-track tunnel in the Santa Susana foothills just before 4 p.m. The tunnel, which connects the Simi and San Fernando valleys, is one of the longest in the area, Humphrey said.

Authorities hiked for a half-mile before reaching the victim, who was not identified. Rescuers then hiked back with the victim to Chatsworth Park, where he was airlifted to Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills.

Lt. Jim Cansler of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Devonshire Division said the man was struck by a Southern Pacific train. The incident remains under investigation, he said.