Man Killed by Train in Apparent Suicide
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BUENA PARK — In what authorities are calling an apparent suicide, a man was stuck and killed by a Los Angeles-bound Metrolink train traveling at 79 mph Monday morning.
Witnesses said the man, who has not been identified, was standing behind a tree near the tracks and jumped into the path of the northbound commuter, according to Sgt. Ken Coovert, a spokesman for the Buena Park Police Department.
The incident occurred just before 9 a.m. near the intersection of Beach Boulevard and the Santa Ana Freeway. The 450-ton train was carrying 59 passengers, but no injuries were reported.
The train originated in San Juan Capistrano and was delayed 1 1/2 hours while police investigated the fatality.
Metrolink spokesman Peter Hidalgo said the engineer slammed on the emergency brakes when he saw the man jump onto the tracks, but the train was traveling so fast that it took nearly a third of a mile to stop.
“There was nothing he could do except put the emergency brakes on,” Hidalgo said. “He was pretty shaken up.”
The man suffered massive head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and witnesses.
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