3 men killed on train tracks in Commerce

Investigators were trying to determine Tuesday why three men were walking on the tracks in Commerce when a passenger train struck and killed them.

The unidentified men were walking about 9 p.m. Monday on an area of the tracks where there was no room for pedestrians, and they were unable to get off in time to avoid the Amtrak train, said Sgt. Michael Thomas of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

L.A. County fire crews and sheriff's homicide detectives pronounced the men dead at the scene in the 6500 block of 26th Street.

“As far as why, that hasn’t been determined,” Thomas said Tuesday. “Obviously, there is speculation. Were they goofing off? Were they committing suicide?”

The train carrying about 125 passengers was traveling from San Diego to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.

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-- Shan Li

Photo: KTLA

Comments

[Just]

You just don't walk on train tracks period!!! Wonder if they we're taggers?? Sad story, but we need to value our life more everyday.

[simon hobbs]

Your info is not correct - there was 337 people on the train and they were not allowed off - they sat on that train for 4 hours - only to be sent back to union station at midnight ! no food or water or information. we can send voyager to the outer limits of our solar system but we can't get a train TO TRAVEL from LA to SD ! Everyday people walk on these tracks and more and more people are getting killed .the thing is it delays everyone for hours .on the train were many foreign tourists who were shocked at the poor service - terrible for tourism and the image of American trains.

[God needs a starship]

Lot's of people do not respect the rails and also do not consider the hunking mass of steel that is powering down them everyday. I think that people need a refresher course in railway rules, education regarding trains needs to be looked in to. Pedestrians seem to disregard crosswalk too.

[SorryBut]

Why did the train need to be stopped? It would have already fully passed the pedestrians in the distance it could be halted (unless it was near a station and moving quite slowly, in which case they wouldn't have been hit).

There was no benefit to the dead nor useful information to be gained by holding the train for several hours. Once foul play is ruled out (to be sure they were not thrown off the train by a culprit who was on it, figuring they'd make a clean getaway mixed into the crowd) there was no reason to hold the pax. That determination could be made in a few minutes by interviewing the train crew over the radio/phone. Assuming the peds were visible in the train's powerful headlights at the last moment it would be obvious that they were not tossed out from inside or dragged there. That's about it for reasons to stop the train.

[michael g]

Leave it to Los Angeles to leave another poor impression on foreign tourists. Apparently, the only foreigners impressed by our city are the illegals aliens-- and they will be tomorrow's voters if the Obama Administration and Progressives get their way...

[Robert Mora]

Wow the community are probally having fun. 49% probally say they were goofying off 50% probally say its suicide and O.N.E. % made this comment.

[billy b]

3 people are dead and people are complaining about a train being delayed for 4 hrs ? .. really ? .. 300+ people at 1 minute a pop comes up to how much time ? they all have to sign a release of liability so they wont sue amtrak at a later date .. .. if you are in an accident how much time do you spend exchanging info? .. how often do you see people with minor accidents refusing to move the cars from traffic cuz they want the police to arrive first cuz both blame the other for cause of accident .. if it were one of my kids im sure i would feel like they were trying to find out what exactly happened and not just rushed things along with lil respect for the dead or for the family . the lack of empathy with xmas in 2 weeks is really sad .. 3 people wont be with family this year .. while a few people are moanin about having a few hrs of their time taken from them .. there are 3 families with members of it ...taken from them .

[Heather Miller]

I agree with the above comments, once foul play is ruled out they should get the trains on their way. My husband sat in LA for four hours waiting for his train to leave without any communication or information from AmTrak. Me and my 1 year old son had to leave at 2 am to pick him up at the train station. There were thousands of people like myself last night who were waiting and desperate to get to their families. At the very least AmTrak needs to inform their passengers about expected delays instead of just making them sit their for two hours before any announcements are even made. The loss of life is tragic, but this has been happening way to often. We gave a ride to some tourists last night into Irvine. They had been literally sitting on trains since 2 in the afternoon. Earlier they had been delayed from another pedestrian-amtrak accident coming out of Santa Barbara. Two accidents in one day - AmTrak needs to improve their system, it's ridiculous that it would take a minimum of three hours to just rule out whether or not their was foul play. This will unfortunately keep happening.

[Ryan]

It took me 5 hours and 47 minutes to get from LA to Tustin last night. It astounds me how poor Amtrak is at communicating with its customers. The death of these three men is tragic, regardless of what happened. It continues to amaze me that every time there is a train v pedestrian accident, the entire rail system between LA and Oceanside is crippled for several hours. Investigation and cleanup takes at least 3 hours.

With all the talk of high-speed rail, I wonder how much thought has been given to improving situations such as these. As we try to build our rail system, with the intention of moving more people from their personal vehicles to trains, are we to expect that every time there is an accident, the riders are just supposed to sit stranded on the tracks for hours on end with no information? Amtrak and Metrolink need to improve their response crews. The train staff is often completely cut out of the conversation and subjected to irate passengers. Accidents will continue to happen, but that doesn't mean we can't avoid messes like last night with better management.

[Ashleigh]

Its pretty sad that three lives have been taken whether intentionally or not and your focus is on what the forgeiners thought about the service of Amtrak and who the voters of tomorrow will be. You people have no souls. If it were a friend or family member of yours Im sure that the five stars on traveling amtrak in LA would be the least of your concerns.

[Daniel]

It is silly for people to complain on behalf of foreign tourists or a four hour wait when 3 young lives were so thoroughly slaughtered by the train that it probably took the coroner that long to make sure that all the human parts had been sufficiently removed from the train and the tracks.

Unfortunately, tourists are just as selfish as those of us trying to justify impressing them with our "service" and "accommodations." Complain to Amtrack, I'm sure they will offer you a discount or some free drink vouchers.

I wonder if you would say the same thing if it were your wayward tagging child that ended up getting scraped up, piece by piece, off the tracks. Actually, I don't wonder. I already know the answer to that.

[benh57]

If my tagging child had been killed by this train, i still wouldn't want the passengers held up needlessly for 4 hours. It's just not necessary.

[steven garcia]

I KNEW THOSE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DONT YOU DARE SPEAK ILL OF THEM THEY WERE THE BIGGEST DREAMERS IVE EVER KNOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[SorryBut]

Re 12:45pm --

It's not disrespect for the dead, at least not for average folks rather than comment board trolls. It's just that, sadly, in densely populated areas incidents with people or cars are not rare and cause hundreds of people to be trapped on a train and thousands to to be stranded at stations.

If it were 15 minutes one would not have much right to complain, but they were literally locked in a stopped train for 4 hours, then sent *backwards* away from their destination. So it's midnight, they're stranded, some have to be up at 5.30am to get to work the next day and they are now hours from home and have missed their connection on the other end.

The train would have continued about 1/4 mile once it started braking. Thus it really did the deceased no good to halt it, much less hold it for hours. The best the train crew can do is hit the e-brake, hope people get off the tracks or find an escape route and then get going again if that was not the case. By the time the train can stop its full length has passed whomever was in the wrong spot, and it does zero for them or their remains to have the train sit still a ways down the tracks. Same for collisions with a passenger car, and in that case whatever is dinged up on the train can't and doesn't need to be fixed until it reaches the train yard.

[Jeff A.]

These people were tagging. I work for the railroad in the City of Commerce. Coworkers of mine witnessed the incident. Tagging is a huge problem in this area of the city. While I hate to see young people dying because of their carelessness, I feel a little less sad knowing they were vandals.

[niick]

one of those young kids was my brother .....outr ....

[imominous]

See, this is why I don't take the train from San Diego to LA.

One time, we ran out of fuel on the way home, had to wait for a locomotive to come down from the north to PUSH US to the SD train station. We got in at midnight, leaving me shepherding a 13 year old kid traveling alone. Happily, his folks showed up just as we found a pay phone.

Then there was the time I read a whole Harry Potter book at Union Station because some bum committed suicide by train and stranded me in LA.

I would still not trade freedom for trains that run on time!

[12midnight]

Rest In Phame..
FALLIN SOLDIERS,

[chiara]

Whatever the reasons for those kids up there, it is trajic what became of them. Whenever something like this strikes the community, it rings through out and sends those that remain whirling and having to re-adjust in the aftermath. Like the families and friends of these boys, yes, they were boys, teenagers, will mourn their lose and for a lot longer than the 4 hour delay the passengers incurred. Someone spoke of taggers or vandals, whatever they were, those that posted that 'the train should have moved on' or that the passengers were needlessly delayed- it really is incomprehensible... the heartlessness and darkness of it all-it is almost Christmas!!! Three boys died on those tracks and families devastated. Please don't forget that you are human and have families too-none of you are free from something like this striking you and your families or friends.

[NOWK]

RIP OUTER KYR
WE MISS YA BOIII

[Blyss Ric Thomas]

wow some of your comments blow me away. can you tell me please where it was said that the boys were taggin. 1 of those men is my cousin. my family is dealing with the loss of a family member at this time. and im readin comments about people complaining the train was held up? my cousin Joey Hernandez wont be here for christmas this year. i love you lil cousin and i will miss you deeply you were a good kid. R.I.P...

[ashley]

Everyone talking crap is PATHETIC! I knew Anthony! I went to North Park with him. He was a good kid. Everyone was a kid once and did dumb things!! Whether he was there for tagging or not it still doesnt give you the right to get upset about a stupid train! If it was your friend, family, son, dad, cousin, nephew..(ect.) you'd all be mad about these comments to!! They were people who had feelings and loved life! They were kids! I dont care about the train being delayed! They need to get all information they need to try and find out what really happened! None of you people having feelings towards these kids. There family is less one family member. Christmas is next week. NOw their gonna have to return odr do something with their gifts. Do you know how hard it is to do that?? Its heart breaking. New Years is in two weeks. Its suppose to be a HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's not gonna be that way for their families. They have to think about when their gonna have the services for their family members. PEOPLE STOP THINKING BOUT YOURSELF AND THINK BOUT THE FAMILIES THAT ARE HURTING AND DEPRESSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!!!!! No one ever wants to spend their holidays this way but they are. You people are ignornant and selfish!!!!! IF you dont got anything nice to say dont write anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REST IN PEACE ANTHONY!! WE MISS YOU, YOU'LL ALWAYS BE IN OUR HEARTS. LOVE YOU KID<3 :'(

[BREANNA .]

r.i.p gilbert you will be missed .
and so will the others

leave these boys to rest in peace please

[Vanessa Olivares]

Seriously people if you dont have anything nice to say dont even comment.. Gilbert was one of my brothers friend I really feel so bad for his Family specially his mother man God bless her..I really didnt know Gilbert but I feel so bad my heart is just so crush :( R.I.P Gilbert

[veronica"vika"]

gilbert correa was a good kid... he had big dreams...he was the one who can make u smile just for being goofy...he always loved to dance and just have a good time....
r.i.p gilber "outer" jr correa