A man died from the injurues he sustained after walking in front of an oncoming light rail train at the intersection of R and 14th Streets shortly after 6 p.m on Friday.
The cars at the downtown intersection were stopped and the railroad crossing arms were down when the man walked south on the sidewalk on the east side of 14th Street, according to Sacramento Police Sergeant Doug Voska. As he approached the edge of the train tracks, the train operator spotted him and sounded the horn; however, the man continued, finally stopping and freezing in the middle of the tracks, "like a deer caught in the headlights," Voska said.
The train then went into emergency breaking, but still hit the pedestrian before coming to a stop in the middle of 14th Street, according to police.
Witnesses stated that the man was under the front end of the train when rescuers arrived. The train was moved back so paramedics could begin treating the victim.
Paramedics transported the unidentified victim to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
An investigation is under way.
