Californian killed by train may have been attempting videotaped stunt

San Diego (Reuters) - An unidentified man who tried to roll under a freight train in downtown San Diego during what authorities say may have been a videotaped stunt was killed on Thursday when he was struck by the locomotive.



The man, who was between 20 and 30 years old, was cut into pieces by the northbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train, that was traveling at about 10 mph (16 kph) at the time and was 62 cars long, San Diego County Sheriff's Detective Ed Macken said.
"He was be-bopping back and forth and there might have been phones up recording," Macken said. "He was trying to do a maneuver to shoot under a train and it didn't work."
The train finally came to a stop about 35 miles (56 km) north of the deadly accident.
Macken said the crossing gates were down and warning lights were flashing when the accident happened.
The death highlights an ongoing problem with open, very visible and accessible train corridors in San Diego County, Macken said.
"We've had 22 train suicides and accidents in the last year and a half," he said. "We don't think this one was a suicide, but they all make a big mess."
Passenger and freight trains in both directions were stopped for hours while deputies tried to piece together evidence and find witnesses.
"We're still looking for witnesses," Macken said. "What we know was he was crouched down, bobbing back and forth and then he went for it. Sixty train cars went by and then he rolled under the last two."
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Sandra Maler)

"he was struck by the locomotive"

"Sixty train cars went by and then he rolled under the last two"

Hooray media!

Technically it could have been 2 DPU's on the end, but media usually is confused about railroad stuff.

I will be having nightmares tonight, just like after I watched: "Boy trapped under moving train" on YouTube.

I just can't understand stunts like this ... I swear mankind is evolving backwards ... Daah-Harr Win award !

A cowcatcher is 3 inches above the rails, and the rails are 6 inches ... that leaves only 9 inches of total clearance

cascaderailroad said:

Daah-Harr Win award !

Click to expand...

For once I totally agree.

This to me sounds like a definite Darwin Award presentation! From what the sheriff described he idiot was trying to roll or get under the moving train and became hamburger.

I hate to sound cruel, but in this case, I say too bad... Oh well, it's one less that will breed others like him.

John

I don't understand why people in my city are not getting that trains can kill them if they're being stupid around them. The train certainly won't have any problem continuing on after the idiot takes a trip under the wheels, hence why the train stopped 35 miles away. The crew simply didn't know.

I'm assuming the accident occurred on the line that curves right through downtown San Diego, between the Santa Fe Depot and the yard south of there. The convention center and Petco Park are right next to the NCTD and San Diego Trolley ROW, so people cross the tracks a lot during events at either place. I remember last year, some idiots decided to try and climb through a slow moving freight train rather than wait for it to pass. If I recall correctly, one of them died in front of a large group of people patiently waiting behind the crossing gates.

And I can confirm that some BNSF freights that come down here do utilize DPU's.

I think I read somewhere that out of a poll of drivers, some thought that the train was supposed to stop for them. Is this true or am I just imagining it. At least on the bright side, Septa has put safety ads on some trains, and NS started a safety program in the southern states.