 |
|
|
|
|
Man killed after being hit by train
76-year-old man walked onto tracks, turned, faced train
By Jesse Ducker
An eldery man died on April 4, after being run over by a train that had just left the Murphy Avenue station in Sunnyvale. According to Rita Haskin, chief communication officer for Caltrans, the man had walked out onto the tracks, then turned, faced and waited for the oncoming train.
The fatal accident occurred at 3:55 p.m., three-tenths of a mile north of the Sunnyvale station, below the Mathilda Avenue overpass, Haskin said. According to the Santa Clara County Coroner's Office, the man has been identified as Chong Hung Lau, 76. a resident of San Francisco.
According to Capt. Chuck Eaneff, the engineer of the train saw Lau standing on the north side of the tracks and immediately hit the brakes. However, the train, moving at 20 mph, was unable to stop in time, and struck Lau, running him over. According to the coroner's office, the official cause of death has been listed as the result of multiple blunt force injuries.
Sunnyvale Public Safety Officer Scott Simpson was in the immediate area and made it to the scene approximately 30 seconds afterwards, Eaneff said. He found Lau lodged under the train, one and a half cars back. Simpson immediately checked on the man's vitals, finding he had no pulse, and administered CPR. Public Safety Officer Basim Abu-Hamid soon joined him in the effort. The two worked on Lau, eventually restoring his pulse and respiration.
According to Haskin, Lau was then transported to Valley Medical Center in San Jose. He died in the hospital, approximately one hour after being struck.
Eaneff said it's hasn't been determined if Lau "was suicidal, or just confused." The coroner's office said the manner of death couldn't be determined.
Eaneff credits the ability to briefly resuscitate Lau after such a serious trauma to the training Simpson and Abu-Hamid have had. Besides their training as public safety officers, Simpson is a paramedic parajumper for the Navy Reserves, and Abu-Hamid is a trained paramedic.
The northbound train that struck the man was delayed for 26 minutes after the incident.
|
|
|
|
Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
