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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Amtrak Train Kills Man Sitting On Tracks

From Staff And Wire Reports

An Amtrak train struck and killed a man who apparently saw the train coming but didn’t move from the tracks, police said.

The man was sitting between the rails of the train track shortly before 9 a.m. Thursday. He died as the train went over him, police said.

The King County medical examiner’s office had tentatively identified the man and was trying to reach family members. If they are correct, he was a 25-year-old transient from another state, police said.

The medical examiner’s office still was not releasing the man’s name late Friday afternoon. They said they were having difficulties locating the man’s family out of state and probably would not release the name until today.

The Coast Starlight train was approaching downtown Kent, southbound from Seattle to Tacoma, at about 40 mph when someone aboard noticed the man seated between the rails, police said. The engineer sounded the horn and began an emergency stop.

The man was facing the opposite direction, but he looked over his shoulder at the train, police said. He made no move to get off the tracks.