Gilroy – Another man was killed by a Union Pacific freight train late Friday afternoon, but he had not been identified by presstime Monday, according to the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office.
Gilroy Police Sgt. Kurt Svardal said the man’s death appeared to be accidental, not a suicide.
The death brings the total fatalities involving a train in the South County this year to three.
Last week, 18-year-old Victor Sandoval was killed as he tried to jump across the tracks in front of a train at the Caltrain station in Morgan Hill at the intersection of Depot and Second streets.
In January, 18-year-old Jackie Gamboa was killed when she was ejected from a pickup truck driven by Nathan Shrock, 21, as he went around another vehicle and the railroad crossing arms at San Pedro Avenue in Morgan Hill.
“I think this is just a spell of bad luck,” Morgan Hill police Cmdr. Joe Sampson said Monday. “Unfortunately, people are just taking more risks and are losing out.”
Officers are at a “heightened awareness” due to recent events, Sampson said, but are not taking special measures.
“It’s one of those hit and miss type of things; there’s no way to predict when someone’s going to jump out on a track or try to beat the train,” he said.
Caltrain spokesman Jonah Weinberg said the 14 deaths this year on Caltrain rail system – 77 miles of track – is over their average yearly total of 10 per year. The record is 20 in 1995.
According to Svardal, Friday’s accident in Gilroy occurred at 5:39pm as the unidentified man walked along the train tracks at Sixth Street. A southbound freight train was approaching, and the train operators sounded the horn. Svardal said the man apparently waved his hand, acknowledging the train, but did not turn around or step away from the tracks.
Svardal said there are two sets of tracks in the area, and the man may have assumed the train was on the other set of tracks.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at
md****@mo*************.com.
