Pedestrian hit, killed by Amtrak train on Central Coast, officials say

Giana Magnoli
·1 min read
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A man was hit and killed by an Amtrak train near Gaviota in Santa Barbara County on Friday morning, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

The train hit a pedestrian on the tracks at 11:17 a.m. about 1 mile southeast of Mariposa Reina, fire Capt. Scott Safechuck said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, he said.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office deputies and California State Parks officials also responded to the scene of the crash, Safechuck said.

Amtrak confirmed its northbound Pacific Surfliner train was stopped north of Goleta “due to a trespasser incident” as of 11:12 a.m.

In September 2021, a Goleta man was struck and killed by an Amtrak train in the same area.

A train struck and killed a pedestrian walking on the tracks in Grover Beach on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, the Grover Beach Police Department said. The woman was identified as Karen Ayn Anderson, 54, of Grover Beach.
A train struck and killed a pedestrian walking on the tracks in Grover Beach on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, the Grover Beach Police Department said. The woman was identified as Karen Ayn Anderson, 54, of Grover Beach.

San Luis Obispo County has seen at least three train-involved deaths in recent months.

A pedestrian died Dec. 6 after being hit by an Amtrak train at the Grover Beach train station.

An Amtrak train struck and killed a Grover Beach woman on Dec. 27 while she was walking on the tracks in the 200 block of North Highway 1 in Grover Beach.

On April 11, a man died of his injuries after being struck by an Amtrak train near the 2800 block of Riverside Avenue in Paso Robles.

Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com.