Blind man trips, killed by train

A legally blind man was struck and killed by a freight train in Oakley on Saturday afternoon, a police sergeant said today.

The accident happened around 4 p.m. on the East Cypress Road crossing just east of Main Street, Oakley police Sgt. Robert Roberts said.

The man had been walking toward Bethel Island to meet with his wife who was picking him up from the area before the collision happened, Roberts said.

Witnesses reported that the man, who didn’t need a cane, was crossing over the tracks and tripped.

Roberts said the man became disoriented after his fall and tried to avoid the oncoming train, but instead dove into the tracks:

“It was sadly a tragic accident.”

The tracks were closed for about two hours after the collision for the police investigation, the sergeant said.

The train had departed from Richmond and was heading to Stockton, BNSF Railway spokeswoman Lena Kent said.

The crossing is equipped with gates and lights, Kent said.

The man was only identified as a 52-year-old Bethel Island resident, Roberts said.