Man Is Killed When He Leaps in Front of a High-Speed Metrolink Train

In what authorities are calling an apparent suicide, a man was struck and killed by a Los Angeles-bound Metrolink train traveling at 79 mph through Buena Park on Monday morning.

Witnesses said the unidentified man was standing behind a tree near the tracks and jumped into the path of the northbound commuter as it approached, according to Sgt. Ken Coovert, spokesman for the Buena Park Police Department.

“It appears to be a suicide,” Coovert said.

The incident occurred just before 9 a.m. near the intersection of Beach Boulevard and the Santa Ana Freeway. Fifty-nine passengers were aboard the 450-ton train.

The train, which had left in San Juan Capistrano, was delayed 1 1/2 hours while police investigated.

Metrolink spokesman Peter Hidalgo said the engineer slammed on the emergency brakes, but the train was traveling so fast it took nearly a third of a mile before it could stop.

“There was nothing he could do except put the emergency brakes on,” Hidalgo said. “He was pretty shaken up.”

The victim suffered massive head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and witnesses. He was wearing a light blue plaid shirt, jeans and a gray jacket.