Three Men Killed in Amtrak Train Accident in Commerce, CA

December 22nd, 2010 |

COMMERCE, CA – Three men were walking along a railroad trestle in Commerce, CA and were killed when they got in the path of an oncoming Amtrak passenger train.

Scene of fatal Amtrak train accident on an overpass where 3 men were killed December 13, 2010 in Commerce, CA.

Commerce is in Los Angeles County, California in the southern part of the state, about 7 1/2 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

The accident occured near the intersection of Garfield Ave. and Telegraph Road around 8:30 p.m. Monday evening, December 13, 2010. The train trestle where the men were killed is on an overpass over Garfield Ave.

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According to authorities, the place were the men were killed was not an area for pedestrians. An investigation was conducted and it appears that they were unable to get off the overpass in time.

The train’s conductor saw the men and immediately applied the brakes and was able to slow the train down but was unable to stop the train in time to avoid the accident.

The northbound train was moving from San Diego, through San Bernardino and was headed towards Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. At the time the train was carrying 122 passengers and 3 crew members on the Amtrak train.

According to reports, there were no injuries to passengers or railroad workers.

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Location of fatal Amtrak passenger train accident in Commerce, CA near the intersection of Garfield Ave. and Telegraph Rd where 3 men were killed Monday evening, December 13, 2010.

This was a tragedy. It is not know why the three men, who were originally thought to be in their twenties, were on the train overpass at the time. Los Angeles County homicide investigators were on the scene investigating the cause of the tragic accident.

The 3 men were later identified as 15 year-old Anthony Sandoval, 17 year-old Gilbert Correa and 27 year-old Joseph Hernandez.

At the time there was a freight train headed south. It is believed that the 3 men got out of the way of the southbound freight train but, due to the noise, were unaware that there was a passenger train heading on northbound tracks and accidentally got in its path.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, each train appeared to have slowed to 45 mph and that neither engineer was at fault.

Published by FELA lawyer news blog at Gordon &amp Elias, LLP