Pedestrian Killed by Amtrak Train at California Train Station
(Carlsbad, California – March 4, 2014)
An as-yet unidentified man was struck and killed by a southbound Amtrak “Surfliner” passenger train last Tuesday at about 1:20 P.M. when he was attempting to cross San Diego Northern railroad tracks at a designated pedestrian crossing at the Carlsbad Poinsettia passenger station in Carlsbad, CA. The victim may have believed was going to stop at the station, as all San Diego “Coaster” commuter passenger trains do daily.
The Amtrak train, which was operating at 70 mph, struck the victim, killing him instantly, and cast his body over a nearby fence. San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy D. Morabe said that the victim was walking west across the multiple tracks at the south end of the station when the tragedy occurred.
The Poinsettia station pedestrian crossing, which has flashing lights but no gates to restrain people from walking across the tracks when trains are approaching, sees the passage of a large number of trains daily, including 48 Amtrak and Coaster trains as well as a dozen Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight trains. Trains are authorized to operate at speeds as high as 90 mph through the rail corridor.
