Morgan Hill man, 41, apparently tried to outrun the Amtrak
train
Morgan Hill – A 41-year-old Morgan Hill man was killed when he tried to cross the railroad tracks in front of an oncoming Amtrak train.
Rustom Ajlouni was driving northbound on Monterey Road about 8:45pm Thursday as an Amtrak passenger train was traveling northbound on the tracks parallel to the road, Morgan Hill police Sgt. David Swing said. As Ajlouni reached Tilton Avenue, he turned left to cross the tracks, ignoring the downed crossing arms and flashing lights and warning bells.
The train was traveling about 70mph as it came through the intersection, police said. It struck Ajlouni’s full-sized pickup broadside. He was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel.
Witnesses told the investigating officers that Ajlouni had been to a bar prior to the accident, so police believe alcohol may have been a factor in his death, but it cannot be determined if he was driving under the influence until toxicology tests are complete, Swing said.
Amtrak spokesperson Vernae Graham said 182 passengers and crew were on the train, which left Los Angeles Thursday morning and was headed for Seattle.
During the four hours the tracks were closed for investigation by MHPD officers, Union Pacific Railroad and Amtrak Police, the crew and passengers remained on board. When the tracks were clear, the train, passengers and crew continued to Seattle. The crew did not ask to be relieved, Graham said.
No one on the train, which was traveling in a 79 mph maximum speed zone, was injured, she said.
Ron Daniels, who describes Ajlouni as “almost a brother,” said Ajlouni’s family is “devastated” by the loss, particularly as they are still mourning Ajlouni’s father, who died in Sept. 2005.
Daniels said though Ajlouni had a “heart of gold,” he sometimes “had a crazy side.”
“He would do anything for people, he was well-known and well-loved,” Daniels said. “I am just devastated. He’s like my brother, we call each other brothers. He was someone who was a good friend, and someone who was a family guy.”
The two have known each other since junior high school, Daniels said. But the depth of their relationship was brought home when Daniels was in a major motorcycle accident in 2003 and lost a leg and an arm as a result.
“Of the three months I spent in the hospital, I think he missed visiting me maybe three days,” Daniels said. “He would bring me breakfast on Saturday mornings. He was there for me during a very difficult time, never let me down.”
Daniels said Ajlouni moved in with his mother after the death of his father and was working as a carpet and linoleum layer for a friend.
Ajlouni’s 2-year-old son was the “pride and joy of his life,” Daniels said. “Anytime he could spend with him, he took advantage of that. He wanted to be with him as much as he could.”
Swing said photos of the remains of Ajlouni’s truck illustrate the dangers of trying to outmaneuver a train.
“This is the aftermath, this is what happens,” he said. “We want the public to realize that the crossing arms are there for a reason. Patience is always the best route. Wait for the train to completely pass the intersection, for the flashing lights to stop flashing and the arms to raise before moving into the intersection.”
This is the fourth train fatality in South County this year.
Jackie Gamboa was killed Jan. 23 when the truck she was riding in was hit by a Caltrain commuter train. On Sept. 6, Victor Sandoval was killed by a northbound Union Pacific freight train as he tried to jump the tracks in front of the train, and Sept. 9, a Gilroy man walking along the double tracks was hit by a southbound Union Pacific freight train and killed.
