Early Thursday morning a man was struck and killed by a southbound Caltrain, just north of California Avenue station in Palo Alto, according to the San Mateo County Transit.
There is no vehicle or passenger crossing where the man was struck, according to SAM.
Below is their official -- and only -- release on the matter:
About 1:20 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 6, southbound Caltrain 198 struck and killed a 19-year-old male on the train tracks .4 of a mile north of the California Avenue station in Palo Alto. There were no injuries to the passengers on the train or to the train engineer or crew.
Preliminary investigation indicates that this was an intentional act. There is no vehicle or pedestrian crossing in the area. It is not known where the man entered the right of way. The east side of the tracks is fenced. Houses with fenced yards and a park with fencing abut the west side of the tracks.
Although the man was a Palo Alto resident at the time of his death, he never attended high school in Palo Alto.
The train stopped at the California Avenue station, where passengers were able to get off. Another train was dispatched to the station and picked up 30 passengers at the station at 2:45 a.m. The train will make all local stops.
Train 198 is a local train that departs the San Francisco station at 12:01 a.m. It is the last southbound train of the day. As a result, there were no delays to any other trains. Normal service will resume this morning. The first southbound train is scheduled to leave San Francisco 4:55 a.m.; the first northbound train is scheduled to leave San Jose at 4:30 a.m.
This is the first fatality this year. In 2010 there were 11 fatalities on the Caltrain right of way. In 2009 there were 19.
Caltrain has an ongoing commitment to safety and is an active member of Operation Lifesaver, an internationally renowned organization promoting rail safety. Last year, Caltrain gave Operation Lifesaver presentations to more than 1,300 people. Audiences have included students, community groups, police and fire officials, elected officials and civic leaders.
The presentation can be targeted to specific audiences and includes videos and handouts. Members of the public who would like information about rail safety education can call 650.508.7934.
