Two people were struck and killed by an Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train Friday night after trespassing on railroad tracks near Faria Beach Park in Ventura County, officials said.
The collision occurred around 9:45 p.m. in the 4300 block of Pacific Coast Highway, near a beach along the route between Goleta and Carpinteria, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. The victims, whose identities have not been released, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Amtrak Train 785 was traveling from San Diego to Goleta at the time of the crash. The company said the two people killed were trespassing on the tracks. None of the 119 passengers and crew members aboard the train was injured.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Amtrak police took over the investigation once they arrived, with the California Highway Patrol also responding to the scene. Video from the area showed law enforcement gathered around the stopped train.
Amtrak said it is cooperating with local authorities as the investigation continues.
“Amtrak is working with local law enforcement to investigate the incident,” the company said.
The rail operator described trespassing on tracks as “the leading cause of rail-related deaths in America” and said preventing such incidents remains a priority.
“These incidents can affect everyone involved—those who are injured or die and their families, our train crews, and our passengers,” Amtrak said. “They also serve as critical reminders about the importance of obeying the law and of exercising extreme caution around railroad tracks and grade crossings.”
The delay caused by the collision pushed the train’s arrival in Carpinteria back several hours, according to RailRat.net, a rail-tracking site.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has not yet released further details on the victims or the circumstances that led them onto the tracks.
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