LOS ANGELES – A man trying to kill himself and his girlfriend by stopping a car on railroad tracks died Monday when a commuter train crashed into the vehicle, police said. The girlfriend survived.
The man drove the car in front of a group of other vehicles stopped at a railroad crossing in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Sunland, Officer Mike Lopez said.
The driver, who was seen arguing with his girlfriend, parked the car on the tracks moments before a northbound Metrolink train crossed the road, Lopez said.
The train hit the rear passenger side of the car, spinning it around and ejecting the driver. The girlfriend was taken to the hospital, where she was later upgraded to stable condition, Lopez said.
Officials had earlier said they believed the man was trying to kill his girlfriend but fled the car before the train hit, only to be crushed by the car. They later revised their account because of new information.
There were no injuries on the train, which carried 132 passengers and crew members, said Denise Tyrrell, a Metrolink spokeswoman. The train had superficial damage.
"The train to your car is like your car to a soda pop can. It's just not going to be a fair fight," Tyrrell said.
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