A man who was apparently walking in the train tracks by the East Bay town of Port Costa was killed by an eastbound Amtrak Capitol Corridor train Thursday night.
The man died at the scene after being struck by the train around 9:15 p.m., as Bay City News reports. Amtrak and Union Pacific Railroad officials confirmed the death, and said none of the 52 passengers on the Amtrak were injured in the collision. The train was delayed three hours and 10 minutes in its trip to Sacramento.
Port Costa is a small village of less than 200 along the Carquinez Strait in unincorporated Contra Costa County. It is separated from the shoreline by the train tracks that have long served as its town line.
As the East Bay Times reports, the man killed by the train has been identified as 52-year-old John Schmidt of Alameda.
Following the accident, Amtrak officials issued a statement cautioning everyone walking near or on train tracks to exercise caution. The company says that 2,000 people die every year in incidents involving trespassing on or crossing of train tracks.
Photo: Steve Boland/Flickr