A 34-year-old man died Oct. 7 after being struck by an Amtrak train outside Moorpark.
Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the tracks near Balcom Canyon Road and State Route 118 around 8:15 p.m. after receiving a call from the train’s conductor that the locomotive had struck a pedestrian, said Capt. Jason Karol.
The conductor said that the victim jumped in front of the train, Karol said. Video surveillance from the train later confirmed the pedestrian had jumped on the tracks, he added.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and his identity has been withheld pending notification of next of kin, authorities said.
Amtrak was not immediately available to answer questions about the collision. Authorities Oct. 8 said they did not know the train’s direction at the time of the crash.
The Oct. 7 train death is the third in recent weeks, including one in Simi Valley on Sept. 24, which was later ruled a suicide, and another in Oxnard near the train station on Sept. 25.
The sheriff’s office’s major crimes unit is investigating the death as a possible suicide, authorities said.
If you’re feeling despondent, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, for both English and Spanish speakers, can be reached by calling 988 or visiting online https://988lifeline.org.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: A 34-year-old man fatally struck by a train just outside Moorpark
Reporting by Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
