Morgan Hill man, 41, apparently tried to outrun fast-moving
locomotive
Morgan Hill – A 41-year-old Morgan Hill man was killed Thursday night as he allegedly tried to beat an Amtrak train in his vehicle but did not clear the tracks in time.
According to Morgan Hill police Sgt. David Swing, Rustom Ajlouni was driving northbound on Monterey Road at approximately 8:45pm as an Amtrak passenger train was traveling northbound on the tracks parallel to the road. As Ajlouni reached Tilton Avenue, he turned left to cross the tracks, ignoring the downed crossing arms and flashing lights and warning bells.
The train was traveling at approximately 70mph as it came through the intersection. It struck Ajlouni’s full-sized pickup broadside, and he was ejected. He was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel.
Swing said witnesses told the investigating officers that Ajlouni had been to a bar prior to the accident, so police believe alcohol may have been a factor in his death, but it cannot be determined if he was driving under the influence until toxicology tests are completed.
Amtrak spokesperson Vernae Graham said 182 passengers and crew were on the train, which left Los Angeles Thursday morning and was headed for Seattle. During the four hours the tracks were closed for investigation by MHPD officers, Union Pacific Railroad and Amtrak Police, the crew and passengers remained on board. When the tracks were clear, the train, passengers and crew continued to Seattle. The crew did not ask to be relieved, Graham said.
No one on the train, which was traveling 70mph in a 79 mph maximum speed zone, was injured, she said.
Ron Daniels, who describes Ajlouni as “almost a brother” to him, said Ajlouni’s family is “devastated” by the loss, particularly as they are still morning Ajlouni’s father, who died in Sept. 2005.
Daniels said though Ajlouni had a “heart of gold,” he sometimes “had a crazy side.”
“He would do anything for people, he was well-known and well-loved,” Daniels. “I am just devastated. He’s like my brother, we call each other brothers. He was someone who was a good friend, and someone who was a family guy.”
Having known each other since junior high school, Daniels said, he and Ajlouni grew up together, but the depth of their relationship was brought home to him when he, Daniels, had a major motorcycle accident in 2003 and lost a leg and an arm as a result.
“Of the three months I spent in the hospital after that, I think he missed visiting me maybe three days,” Daniels said. “He would bring me breakfast on Saturday mornings. He was there for me during a very difficult time, never let me down.”
Daniels said Ajlouni had moved in with his mother after the death of his father and was working as a carpet and linoleum layer for a friend.
Ajlouni’s two-year-old son was the “pride and joy of his life,” Daniels said. “Anytime he could spend with him, he took advantage of that. He wanted to be with him as much as he could.”
Swing said photos of the remains of Ajlouni’s truck illustrate the dangers of trying to outmaneuver a train.
“This is the aftermath, this is what happens,” he said. “This is the third train accident in nine months, the second in six weeks. We want the public to realize that the crossing arms are there for a reason. The train may be moving faster than it appears. We may think we can judge its speed, but it’s difficult because we’re used to judging the speed of much smaller vehicles. Patience is always the best route. Wait for the train to completely pass the intersection, for the flashing lights to stop flashing and the arms to raise before moving into the intersection.”
Jackie Gamboa was killed Jan. 23 when the truck she was riding in was hit by a Caltrain commuter train; her boyfriend, Nathan Schrock, was driving and went around another truck stopped at the crossing and around the crossing arms to bypass a freight train on one set of tracks, apparently unaware the commuter train was coming on the other tracks from the opposite direction.
On Sept. 6, Victor Sandoval was killed by a northbound Union Pacific freight train as he tried to jump the tracks in front of the train; the train clipped his rear leg as he leapt across, spinning him around into the train.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at [email protected].
