Whistles warned group before train struck, killed Seattle man

Seattle police and BNSF Railway officials were continuing to investigate the death of a 25-year-old Seattle man who died after being struck by a train near Carkeek Park on Saturday night.

As of Sunday evening, police and the King County Medical Examiner's Office were not releasing the man's name pending notification of his family.

The accident occurred around 8:45 p.m. on a stretch of tracks 100 yards north of a pedestrian walkway at the park.

Gus Melonas, spokesman for the railway, said crews on a California-bound train had observed a group of people on the tracks, which run near the beach, and the engineer whistled a warning to alert them.

He said that crew also radioed ahead to alert a second train, a Seattle freight train bound for Chicago. The engineer on that train sounded his whistle and everyone but the victim escaped from the tracks. The accident shut down the line for about four hours.

Because of the proximity of the tracks to the beach, Melonas said, "we are aggressively pursuing safety in that area. We've talked to neighbors about the dangers associated with trespassing."

He said beach and rail patrols are constantly monitoring the area, particularly in the summer when there are more people and more activity along the beach.

"We want the public to expect movement of a train on any track at any time in any direction," Melonas said. "It's an unfortunate situation for all involved."

On the victim's MySpace page, the man talks about his joy as a new parent. Amanda Allen, whose husband is a childhood friend of the victim, said his friends are devastated by this loss.

"He was a great guy who loved life a lot," she said.

Lornet Turnbull: 206-464-2420 or lturnbull@seattletimes.com