Man on phone killed by train

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Man on phone killed by train

RIVERSIDE: Police say it is not rare for distracted pedestrians to be hit.

Sunday, January 2, 2005

By SONJA BJELLAND and GREGOR McGAVIN / The Press-Enterprise

A Grand Terrace man died Friday afternoon after being struck by a freight train while talking on his cell phone, officials said Saturday.The man was walking west on Palmyrita Avenue in Riverside at about 3:25 p.m. and waited at the tracks near Iowa Avenue for a southbound train to pass, said Sgt. Marcus Smail with the Riverside Police Department.

After the train passed, the 37-year-old man proceeded to cross the tracks while talking on the phone and was struck by a northbound Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway train, witnesses told police.

"Obviously, he didn't realize it was coming," Smail said by phone.


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Online at: http://www.pe.com/localnews/riverside/stories/PE_News_Local_train02.574b7.html