Man jumps out of path of freight train, is hit and killed by Amtrak engine, officials say

A man was killed when he was struck by a train Sunday morning in Steilacoom, officials said.

The man was walking along the double tracks just south of Chambers Creek about 8:30 a.m. when he jumped off one track to avoid a northbound freight train, BNSF Railways spokesman Gus Melonas said. He went to the other track, where he was hit by an Amtrak train traveling south to Portland.

The man is in his late 20s and from South Carolina, Steilacoom Public Safety Chief TJ Rodriguez said. He died at the scene.

“This gentleman was a transient and was clearly trespassing on the railroad tracks,” Rodriguez said. “This does not appear to be a suicide.”

The railroad tracks were closed for nearly three hours, delaying four trains.

The South Carolina man’s death is the 17th death on railroad tracks in Washington state this year, Melonas said.

“We can’t encourage the public enough to be aware that trains move on any track at any time in any direction,” Melonas said.

The incident is being investigated.

This story was originally published October 14, 2018 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Man jumps out of path of freight train, is hit and killed by Amtrak engine, officials say."