Another Train Fatality in Mission Viejo

This explains all the noise last night.  We were awakened in the early morning hours by trains blasting their horns as they moved slowly along the track that runs in the ravine by our house.

A 23-year-old man was killed when he was hit by an Amtrak train Thursday night, authorities said.

Sheriff's officials received reports that the man ran in front of the train as it was traveling south between Alicia Parkway and La Paz Road, said Lt. Stu Geenberg of the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies are still investigating the incident, but they received reports the man ran toward the train before being hit, officials said. The incident is being investigated as a possible suicide.

The train was headed toward the Laguna Niguel stop and carrying 85 passengers, according to Amtrak officials.

The person has been identified as Sean Barrientes of Laguna Niguel.  This is close to the area where two people decided to sleep on the tracks last September.

We have trains that pass in the middle of the night (usually freights) but we don't normally notice them because they stay off the horn in this area since there are no grade crossings. Last night we had train horns blasting for the better part of an hour and we could hear them moving very slowly as they passed. I'm sure they had to slow down for the investigators who were literally out picking up the pieces.