Homeless Man Killed by Freight Train
A 42-year-old homeless man was struck and killed by a freight train Monday afternoon after he jumped or fell into its path, police said.
An engineer in a Southern Pacific Lines train heading west near Holder Street and Ball Road saw a man “suddenly appear” on the railroad tracks about 30 feet away, said Police Sgt. Lloyd Schwengel.
The train was traveling about 10 m.p.h. and “by the time [the engineer] saw him, it was too late to stop,” Schwengel said.
Nearby residents told police they saw the man drinking alcohol earlier in the day, Schwengel said, but investigators had not determined whether the death was an accident or a suicide.
The man, a transient who apparently lived near Coyote Creek beneath the railroad tracks where he was struck by the train, died at the scene. His name was withheld Monday pending notification of family members.
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