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By Bay City News Service
Authorities are investigating why a pickup truck, now a twisted chunk of metal, was on Caltrain tracks in San Mateo this morning in the path of a train that struck the truck and killed the driver.
The collision was reported shortly before 5:30 a.m. on the tracks near the intersection of Ninth and South Railroad avenues in San Mateo, Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn said.
The driver of the white truck, a man in his 50s, was pronounced dead at the scene, San Mateo police Capt. Kevin Raffaelli said.
The crossing arms were down at the grade crossing where the truck entered Caltrain right of way and it is unclear why the driver had proceeded, he said.
It appears the truck was straddling the northbound tracks when the collision occurred, Raffaelli said. The train dragged the pickup nearly 200 yards before it dislodged just south of the Fifth Street crossing.
No train passengers were injured and all were safely evacuated.
Dozens of spectators watched around 8 a.m. as transportation crews worked to remove what was left of the truck — mostly twisted pieces of metal — from the tracks.
At about 8:15 a.m. both north- and southbound tracks were closed. Trains that had been headed through the area were directed to return to San Francisco or San Jose.
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