The identity of a Latino man believed to be in his 30s killed by
a Union Pacific freight train Tuesday had not been released as
Friday afternoon.
The identity of a Latino man believed to be in his 30s killed by a Union Pacific freight train Tuesday had not been released as Friday afternoon.
Because the man’s next of kin have not been notified, his identify cannot be released, according to the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office.
The identity of two others – who managed to scramble to safety – at the accident scene also was not available at press time.
Union Pacific spokesman John Bromley said Thursday that he was still attempting to “track down” the identities of the two other men.
A Union Pacific freight train crew reported at 12:39pm that at least one person had been struck and likely killed by the train.
The train’s conductor, who declined to give his name, said the crew noticed what looked like piles of black plastic on or near the tracks.
“We sounded the horn, we always honk, even if it’s an inanimate object,” the conductor said at the accident scene immediately behind Farm Fresh Produce in San Martin. “As we got closer, we could tell there were three people, and it looked like they had been lying on the tracks covering themselves. At least we were able to save two lives today.”
The conductor, who said he had never been on a train when a fatality occurred, said one of the three men ran from the scene, while a second man “just sort of rolled down the embankment. We weren’t sure whether he was injured or not at first.”
An empty bottle of King Cobra malt liquor was found at the scene of the accident, along with a portable radio.
The man appeared to make no attempt to clear the tracks as the train approached, the conductor said.
“He just seemed to lean over, to hug the tracks,” he said.
The southbound freight train was traveling at 47 mph when the accident occurred, said Bromley. The body was lying along the tracks at the rear of the 3,000-foot-long train.
California Highway Patrol officers, two ambulances, paramedics and firefighters from CDF and Santa Clara County Fire Department were at the scene. A CALSTAR helicopter en route to the scene was canceled.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at md****@*************es.com or phoning (408) 779-4106, Ext. 202.
