Death on Train Tracks Believed to be Suicide

[6:55 a.m. Tuesday] The coroner's office identified the man who was struck and killed by a freight train Monday night as Anthony Michael Thimmes, 37. No other information has been determined about him at this point. The coroner is still investigating the cause of the death. 

[9:42 p.m. Monday] Caltrain confirms that the pedestrian who was struck and killed by a Union Pacific train near San Mateo Avenue in downtown San Bruno was a man who apparently intentionally threw himself in front of the train. 

Spokeswoman Christine Dunn said the Union Pacific train that struck the man was on its way to pick up freight cars in Santa Clara. The train was not pulling any freight cars at the time of the accident.

Following the accident, trains were delayed in both directions for about two hours. All tracks were reopened for service at 9:32pm, Dunn said.

San Bruno resident Jose Romero was walking his dog on Huntington Avenue around 7:50 p.m., a few minutes after the accident occurred, and said he overheard a woman telling emergency crews that she saw a man throw himself in front of the train.

Romero said he didn't realize what had happened until he saw the police cars and fire engines arrive at the scene.

"That's when it all clicked that that's what she was saying," Romero said.

He said there are a lot of homeless people that usually congregate in the area at night.

There have been eight fatalities on Caltrain tracks this year, five of which have been determined to be suicides, Dunn said. Last year there were 19 train-related fatalities. Of those, 15 incidents were found to be suicides and four were accidental.