Bicyclist killed trying to cross railroad tracks in Richmond

RICHMOND, Calif. -- A male bicyclist was killed this afternoon in Richmond when he tried to cross some railroad tracks as an eastbound Union Pacific freight train approached, a Union Pacific spokesman said.

The collision occurred at about 1:50 p.m. at the Cutting Boulevard crossing, about two miles from Central Avenue, spokesman Francisco Castillo Jr. said.

Castillo said it appears the bicyclist went around the crossing gates to try to get across the tracks before the train.

The train was traveling at 38 mph and all the crossing signals and gates were working, he said.

No one on the train was injured, he said.

Union Pacific officials urge pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists to obey warning signs at railroad crossings, Castillo said.

He said it takes a train about a mile before it can stop. By the time the crew sees a person or object on the tracks it is too late, he said.

Union Pacific officials will be offering peer counseling to the crew, Castillo said.