SEATTLE — A South Carolina man leapt from in front of an oncoming freight train, only to succumb to a passing Amtrak train south of Seattle on Sunday, the News Tribune reports.
The Tacoma, Wash., news outlet cites a local public safety official saying that a transient man in his 20s was trespassing on railroad property about 8:30 a.m. Sunday when he dodged a BNSF Railway freight train, but was struck and killed by a southbound Amtrak destined for Portland, Ore.
The man died at the scene. The double-track line is a route for Amtrak Cascades trains, it was closed for three hours Sunday morning.
Not nice, but if his fate serves as a warning to other people not to trespass, then it may not have been a totally wasted life.
Not quite as stupid as a pair of muppets killed in South Wales a few years back.
After stealing a pair of Honda Quads, four toe-rags used them to rob an outdoor equipment store of several thousand pounds worth of clothing.
They then made the marvellously intelligent decision to make their getaway via the South Wales Main Line, “Cos everyone knows there’s no trains at that time of the morning, init?”
Unfortunately they reckoned without the Cardiff Canton to Cheltenham empty stock working to get the train ready for the start of service.
The train caught up and collided with the rear of the two quads, killing the two young men on board.
When I visited Seattle four years ago I was surprised by how many transients there are. You’ll find them on virtually every street corner and most appear to be young and able-bodied, and this is how they choose to live. When I walked through a city park I was engulfed in marijuana smoke being generated by the crowd of transients camping out or just hanging around there. If the city doesn’t outright welcome them, it sure isn’t discouraging them. Now, however, there is one less.
Some idiot went around CSX gates around 3 AM last week and got whacked by Amtrack 49, car got sliced in two, he survived in Conneaut Oh.
1) Don’t trespass on railroad property! Period!
Same situation as the guy fishing in the Amazon who dove into the water to avoid being stung by bees and was eaten by piranhas.
Regardless of the circumstances, this was an avoidable/tragic accident. I did want to compliment Larry Matus on an excellent post. Bravo sir!
(1) A train may come on any track in either direction, at any time, scheduled or not (2) Situational awareness, there be a second track, have escape route planned in advance (3) Don’t trespass (4) (Conjecture) You need to drive your car home, you’re too drunk to walk.
Get the word out, “See tracks think train”