REWRITE: Broadcast Exercise

CALTRAIN ACCIDENT
BROOKE CARPENTER
MAY 11, 2010





A MAN WAS HIT AND KILLED BY A CALTRAIN BABY BULLET COMMUTER TRAIN TODAY AT 8:45 A.M. WHEN HE STOPPED ON THE TRACKS AT THE WHIPPLE AVENUE CROSSING.

THE UNIDENTIFIED MAN WAS TRAVELING WEST ON WHIPPLE AVENUE WHEN HE STOPPED ON THE TRACKS AS THE VEHICLES AHEAD OF HIM YIELDED TO FIRE TRUCKS RESPONDING TO A NEARBY FIRE ON EL CAMINO REAL.

THE MAN WAS UNABLE TO MOVE HIS LATE MODEL HONDA OFF THE TRACKS BECAUSE OF THE STOPPED TRAFFIC AND THE TRAIN TRAVELING AT 60 MPH WAS UNABLE TO STOP IN TIME.

THE MAN, WHO DIED AT THE SCENE, WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE VEHICLE.

THE SOUTHBOUND TRACK WAS CLOSED UNTIL 10 A.M. AS TRAINS WERE SINGLE TRACKED THROUGH THE SCENE FOR AN HOUR FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT CAUSING COMMUTER DELAYS AND CALTRAIN OFFICIALS HAVE CAUTIONED DRIVERS TO LEAVE ENOUGH ROOM BEHIND OTHER VEHICLES TO AVOID BEING TRAPPED ON THE TRACKS.
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Caltrain officials have cautioned drivers to leave enough room behind other vehicles to avoid being trapped on the tracks.