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Spike in Caltrain deaths this year confusing
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Related Topics: San Mateo County
San Mateo County (Map, News) - The number of deaths this year on the Caltrain tracks has officials scratching their heads about why the tally has already reached the total from 2007.
The most recent death in Palo Alto, the eighth this year, comes after experiencing a five-year low last year.
The fatalities this year have occurred in different cities, times of day and days of the week. Five have been suicides, with one accident and two undetermined deaths this year.
“We wish that we did” have theories on why the rate of deaths is up this year, Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn said.
“We have never been able to identify a pattern and we don’t understand why it’s higher this year than it was in other years, and we also don’t understand when it’s lower, why it’s lower,” Dunn said.
On Monday, a northbound Caltrain was traveling at its normal rate of speed when its engineer “thought he felt something,” Dunn said. The engineer stopped the train, exited and looked around but could not find anything, so he continued operating the train’s route, she said.
After leaving the scene, the engineer called the agency’s transit police, who found the body of 26-year-old Ying Qin, of Newark, just south of the rarely used Stanford station, Dunn said.
Because there is no pattern in the deaths, Caltrain has not launched any new safety programs this year in light of the spike in deaths, she said. Instead, the agency has continued its safety presentations, fencing programs and other community outreach efforts established in previous years.
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Comments from Examiner Readers
1:39 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 9, 2008 re: "Caltrain covets cyclists’ cash"
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8:58 AM MST on Fri., Aug. 8, 2008
re: "Caltrain covets cyclists’ cash"
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5:26 PM MST on Sun., Jul. 27, 2008
re: "Rail plan on track to eminent domain"
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1:31 PM MST on Sat., Jun. 28, 2008
re: "Caltrain leaving bicyclists out in the cold"
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11:43 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 29, 2008
re: "Teen’s death on tracks makes five this year"
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11:59 AM MST on Wed., Apr. 23, 2008
re: "Teen’s death on tracks makes five this year"
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11:21 PM MST on Tue., Apr. 22, 2008
re: "Pedestrian fatality on Caltrain tracks delays train service"
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11:19 PM MST on Tue., Apr. 22, 2008
re: "Pedestrian fatality on Caltrain tracks delays train service"
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10:13 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 21, 2008
re: "Teen’s death on tracks makes five this year"
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12:32 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 21, 2008
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12:13 AM MST on Wed., Apr. 9, 2008
re: "Pedestrian fatality on Caltrain tracks delays train service"
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12:08 AM MST on Wed., Apr. 9, 2008
re: "Caltrain back on time after fatal accident"
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12:48 PM MST on Tue., Apr. 8, 2008
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3:46 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 29, 2008
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11:10 AM MST on Fri., Feb. 29, 2008
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12:01 AM MST on Fri., Dec. 7, 2007
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Professor DeBreeze said:
That guy in the bicycle helmet is super cute.
4 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Caltrain is lying. Bike sharing works for short trips of an hour or less, so the bikes can be reused. Commuters take bikes all day or all night, defeating the purpose. Only one train per day is full for part of the run. Removing empty seats so passengers with bicycles can get on increases farebox revenues. If some riders need to stand for a couple of stops so that other passengers can board at all, it's an ok tradeoff. Caltrain is losing money by not providing for more bikes on trains.
6 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Here we go again--Eminent Domain--one way of forcing home & store owners, residences & renters alike, out of there homes & businesses without recourse. Where can all these folks & businesses relocate? Many have lived in the areas close to Caltrain tracks for years--young, middle age & seniors. The person/persons that proposed this plan isn't thinking of the thousands & thousands of folks that will be affected by this proposal. High speed train to "rush" to Los Angeles area in 2 hours? Why? Doesn't make sense. I, for one will vote NO if the proposal appears on the November ballot. Fran.
10 agree | 6 disagree
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Jonquil said:
Thanks for the article. One point to mention: Caltrain is never, as far as I know, bumping passengers at any station. That means that switching a small amount of capacity from passengers to bicycles is not actually harmful to the non-bicyclists. I, and many other bicyclists, would be happy to buy a ticket for my bicycle to compensate Caltrain for the missing passenger revenues. I need my bicycle at both ends of the commute.
8 agree | 7 disagree
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Ashley Williams said:
The second sentence first part is suppose to say" Man i would hang out with him".
7 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
some people who commented have no heart. a 15-year-old guy died and people seem to have no symphathy. This kid went to my school and although I agree that he shouldn't have been walking on the tracks, he still died and that changes everything. NOBODY deserves to die. This kid was in my brother's class. I can see how his death has affected the school and I wish his family comfort and all my sympathy.
4 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Eddie, do you have no soul? I wonder if Anthony's mom would think thats funny.
9 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
This is pretty scary. I am a fifteen year old boy, just like Anthony, and I take Caltrain to and from school everyday. I can't believe how some people can make sick "natural selection" jokes, if it was your family or friend, you would not.
7 agree | 5 disagree
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Kim ; Anthony's Friend said:
Rest in Paradise, Anthony Rea! We miss you & love you. We were just kickin it the day before,and I didnt know you for that long,but you were easy to click with.And you always have a smile on your face,such a nice guy.Rest in Peace! We love you.
6 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
In the Michael Bulnes Jr. case. The court ruled that the designated path on Caltrain land was unsafe and dangerous, but the engineer was not at fault because the train could not stop fast enough. The jury whom I assume watches too much TV, thought real live was like TV's "CSI", but its not. It appears that the higher educated the juror, the less common sense the person. It's obvious that the conductor has limited power in stopping a moving train on a dime, but that does not mean that Caltrain is not at fault. When history has repeatedly told you that the tracks are unsafe evidenced by the continual slaughtering of our families and friends, some type of light should go on in their head. There have been time tested methods of securing the tracks, but Caltrain refuses to spend the money. I'm sure many commuters agree with the cost saving measures Caltrain is taking, at least until they loose a loved one. I understand that the train is not at fault, but management is.
5 agree | 7 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Love how Mike states the train "slammed" in to the person. Great writing. These people are trespassers. It is private property not a short cut. Unfortunately some people tend to end their lives this way and involve not only crews but passengers. Remember, trains don't swerve.
8 agree | 10 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Aslong as you stay OFF the tracks you have nothing to worry about. Do you go play on the freeway?
9 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
This Weinberg person seems to get a personal thrill every time someone gets smashed by one of these so called miracles of transportation, an almost God like statement of... "TRESPASSER BE DAMMED" is proclaimed. I suppose the same comment would be acceptable for auto/pedestrian accidents as well? These so called baby bullet trains are a huge mistake and do not belong in a heavily populated areas.
5 agree | 6 disagree
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eddie said:
For the bleeding heart liberal who accuses train engineers of murdering tresspassers: it's not murder, it's natural selection at work.
71 agree | 73 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
"fatally killed"? What other way is there to be killed? Getting killed is always fatal. Try "fatally injured", or just "killed".
50 agree | 62 disagree
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Seven said:
Muni killing people and a potential Caltrain shutdown. I love living in this "transit first" city without a car.
100 agree | 102 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Remember the Daylight and the Lark? That was a great way to travel to LA and back. Same track as the Cal Train Commuter, brings back good memories.
129 agree | 110 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
How is it 'murder' when it takes the engineer 2 miles to stop the train? Honestly, if you saw some of the s**t that those train engineers see on a daily basis (people hopping on and off the tracks in front of approaching trains, idiots wearing headphones walking on the tracks) you'd actually start praising CalTrain for the LOW amount of deaths that occur each year.
123 agree | 130 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
All East Coast commuter railroads (NJ Transit, SEPTA, MARC, MTA) as well as Amtrak mix MU's with diesel power!
136 agree | 145 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Makes me sick how CalTrain always calls the people they kill "trespassers", as if they are not humans. CalTrain's way of deflecting responsibility for the many murders they commit each year.
243 agree | 234 disagree
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