Posted on 11/15/2007 4:27:56 PM PST by SmithL
The Alameda County Coroner's office identified a man hit and killed by a train at the Berkeley Amtrak station this morning as Scott Slaughter, 31, of Berkeley.
A coroner's office spokeswoman said Slaughter was talking on his cell phone on his way to work at Truitt & White lumber store when he was hit at 8:15 a.m.
The lumber yard and an adjoining business share a gate in a fence that runs along the tracks where Slaughter was heading, the spokeswoman said.
According to witnesses, Slaughter waited for one train to pass on a first set of tracks. After the train passed, he crossed onto the second set of tracks and was hit.
"He crossed one track and didn't hear or see the other one because he was on his phone and walked over the second track when he was hit," the spokeswoman said. "It looks like an accident now."
Amtrak service was halted through Berkeley until 11 a.m.
The Chicago-bound train out of Oakland that hit Slaughter was going about 70 mph, said Berkeley police Lt. Matt Morizono.
The train, carrying 73 passengers, was delayed by three hours. Capitol Corridor service from Oakland to Sacramento was delayed by up to 21/2 hours, and San Joaquin service from Oakland to Bakersfield was delayed by an hour.
In 2006, California had the highest number of pedestrians killed by trains, 91, in the country, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
(Excerpt) Read more at contracostatimes.com ...
That's co'd.
Man nailed on way to lumber yard.
omg this one is a loaded one. But I won’t do it.
This guy’s family/heirs have just won the lottery.
Man hit, killed by train in Berkeley
at least we know what he was tracking
Scott? Scott? Are you still there?
What was the last thing that entered his mind?
The engine.
Dude, I thought I was just tripping.
You joined to post that?
Well OK, thanks for sharing.
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