Jul 1, 2008

Woman killed by Caltrain in San Bruno

By Christine Morente / Bay Area News Group

An Asian woman in her 30s was killed by a northbound train Monday afternoon after she lay down on the tracks near the San Bruno Caltrain station, police reported.

The woman was standing at the pedestrian crossing at about 1:15 p.m. as the train neared the stop, said Lt. J. David Triolo of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Transit Police Bureau.

At that point "she entered into the crossing area, made eye contact with the engineer and laid down at the gauge of the rail," he said.

Both the bells and lights were working while the crossing gate was down, Triolo said.

It appears the incident, which happened at 1:15 p.m., was a suicide, he said.

The San Mateo County Coroner's Office is expected to release the woman's identity after the next of kin is notified.

The woman's death is the ninth Caltrain fatality this year. The agency reported a total of eight deaths in 2007.

A 15-year-old boy from South San Francisco was killed April 20 on the same tracks in San Bruno.

Anthony Rea was struck and killed after trespassing on the southbound tracks before he was hit, according to Caltrain.

Passengers aboard the train that struck the woman were transferred to a different train at 2 p.m.

The incident caused delays, as both tracks were temporarily closed down. At 1:45 p.m., the southbound track reopened.

An hour later, the southbound train was experiencing 35 to 42 minute delays, according to Caltrain.

The northbound train was delayed for 20 minutes