Man Dies in Metrolink Crash

A Metrolink train carrying more than 100 commuters slammed into a produce truck in Anaheim early Monday, killing the truck driver, who was attempting a U-turn on the railroad tracks moments before the crash, police said.

Train 600, with its 115 passengers, was bound from Fullerton to Irvine when it struck the tractor-trailer about 7:30 a.m. at the Cerritos Avenue crossing, a block north of Lewis Street.

The accident affected rail service from Los Angeles to Orange County about seven hours as authorities investigated the accident and crews cleared wreckage and thousands of pounds of spilled vegetables. Amtrak and Metrolink, which operate 33 trains on the route, reported delays ranging from 30 to more than 90 minutes. Metrolink canceled only one train.

Killed in the crash was Jose Humberto Alvarez, 63, of Calexico, an Imperial County border town. No other injuries were reported.

The impact tore Alvarez’s new Peterbilt truck in half. The trailer was twisted and pushed over on its side. The cab was dragged more than 150 feet.

Tomatoes, zucchini, and produce boxes littered the pavement and railroad tracks. The smell of gasoline from the truck’s dislodged motor and gas tank filled the air. Blankets, a mattress and a Thomas Guide map book were near the mangled cab.

There “was a big, giant bang,” said Troy Tsuchiyama, a customer-service employee at Geary Pacific Supply near the crash site. “There was mayhem everywhere.”

Sgt. Mike Hidalgo, an Anaheim Police Department spokesman, said Alvarez was attempting an illegal U-turn on the tracks to better position his rig for a delivery at Family Tree Produce on Cerritos Avenue.

The truck became trapped on the rails, he said, as the crossing gates descended, bells sounded and warning lights flashed.

“He was in the middle of the tracks when the arms went down,” Hidalgo said. “You cannot make a U-turn here. The turn the driver made was against the vehicle-safety code.”

Alvarez’s body was found in a shallow ditch near the cab. Witnesses tried to revive him, but authorities pronounced him dead at the scene. Police said they did not know how fast the train was going. Metrolink officials said commuter trains usually travel at 65 to 70 mph through that section of Anaheim. The engineer sounded the horn and tried an emergency stop, but he could not halt the train in time, officials said.

The crash occurred in an industrial section of Anaheim frequented by truckers. Drivers often sit in the center divider of Cerritos Avenue, not far from the rail line, waiting to make their deliveries.

Sharon Gavin, a Metrolink spokeswoman, said motorists should never stop their vehicles on tracks or try to turn around on them. If their vehicles break down on the rails, drivers and passengers should abandon them and immediately phone Metrolink at (800) 371-LINK.

Once the crossing gates are activated, Gavin said, motorists have about 30 seconds to flee their vehicles before the train arrives. Why Alvarez did not get out in time is unclear.

Police said that at least one motorist honked at the truck and waved at Alvarez from the outside of his car. The driver also turned his vehicle around and blinked his high beams to warn the oncoming train.

News of Alvarez’s death stunned his co-workers at Manuel Huerta Trucking Inc., the Arizona-based company where he had worked for eight years. Pedro Villagomez described him as a careful, experienced driver, who had just been rewarded by the company three weeks ago with a new rig.

“The owner gives the new trucks to the best drivers,” said Villagomez, who also operates a truck for Huerta. “He loved to drive.”

Amtrak and Metrolink officials said stranded passengers were bused to their stops.

In addition to the canceled train, five others were delayed substantially between 7:30 a.m. and 2:50 p.m., when full service resumed, Gavin said.

Metrolink operates 22 trains on the Orange County line daily. Amtrak officials said that several of their 11 trains on the route were delayed as long as 70 minutes.

In 2001, the six-county Metrolink system had five fatalities and eight injuries related to collisions with vehicles or individuals on railroad tracks.

The worst year for Metrolink during the last decade was 1995, when 11 fatalities and eight injuries were reported.

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Times staff writer David Reyes contributed to this report.