Burbank man struck by train
Tim Willert
BURBANK-- The 18-year-old son of two Burbank Police offi- cers is
expected to recover from injuries he sustained after his car was hit
by an Amtrak train at a railroad crossing in Moorpark this week,
authorities said.
John Speirs, of Burbank, was stopped on the tracks at the Spring
Street crossing when a northbound Amtrak passenger train traveling
between 60 and 70 mph struck his car about 10:15 a.m. Monday,
according to a press release issued by the Moorpark Police
Department.
Speirs, the 18-year-old son of Lt. Bruce Speirs and Det. Kathlyne
Speirs, was taken to Simi Valley Adventist Hospital in serious
condition with a head injury and a cut on his chin, but was later
released.
“John is at home resting comfortably,” Burbank Police Lt. John
Dilibert said late Friday. “He is recovering ... and the prognosis
looks very good for him.”
Speirs was wearing a seat belt, which, along with the car’s air
bag, probably saved his life, Dilibert said.
“[That] definitely had a positive effect,” he said.
Neither Bruce nor Kathlyne Speirs could be reached for comment,
but Dilibert said both appreciated the outpouring of community
support they have received so far.
Bruce Speirs, a former police spokesman, was promoted to
lieutenant in May and assigned to oversee the day-to-day operations
of the Burbank Animal Shelter. Kathlyne Speirs, a background
investigator, is assigned to the department’s community outreach and
professional standards bureau.
John Speirs, a student at Moorpark College, was driving to campus
at the time of the collision, and rescuers from the Ventura County
Fire Department had to pry off the driver’s door to remove him from
the vehicle, according to news reports.
Monday’s collision caused the train to jump the tracks and come to
a stop on the west side of Moorpark Road. None of the 104 passengers
aboard were injured, authorities said.
The incident is still under investigation, Moorpark Police Capt.
Chris Lathrop said.
Reporter Jackson Bell contributed to this story.