Man fatally struck by Amtrak train in Oakland

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A man was killed by an Amtrak train on Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Oakland Friday morning, a Union Pacific spokesman said.

The man was trespassing on the tracks when he was struck in the area of High and San Leandro streets at about 10:20 a.m., Union Pacific spokesman Francisco Castillo said.

The accident was the second fatal collision in the area in less than 72 hours, as another trespassing male was killed by a train at the same High Street crossing at about 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Castillo said.

The fatal accident today is under investigation by Oakland police.

Castillo said the safety message for the public is that pedestrians, bicycles and cars need to be aware of the hazards associated with trains and should never be on train tracks or try to cross them without following the proper signs.

He said when train crossing arms are down to signal that a train is coming people still sometimes put their lives at risk by trying to beat the train by crossing the tracks.