Las Vegas man killed on train tracks near Seattle

A Las Vegas man was killed Saturday after he was struck by a train in Washington state.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe said the man was struck and killed by an Amtrak train while posing for a photograph in Auburn, Wash., about 30 minutes south of Seattle.

He was unable to get out of the way of a southbound train traveling 79 mph, said Auburn police spokesman Mike Hirman, via The Seattle Times.

The man apparently was posing with Mount Rainier in the background, said BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas.

The man and a friend had gotten onto the tracks through an open crossing on C Street Southwest, Hirman said.

“We cannot emphasize enough how important that the public realize that the trains move on any track, at any time, at any direction. Please be aware of our no trespassing policy,” Melonas said.

The 42-year-old man’s identity has not been released.

Melonas said the man’s girlfriend was taking the photos when he was hit by the train. She was not hurt.

The man’s death caused the line to be shut down until 6 p.m.

Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham says the Amtrak Cascades train was carrying about 130 passengers from Portland, Ore., to Seattle. Some passengers went by bus to Seattle while others waited until the train got moving again.

This is the second fatality on BNSF property in Washington this year. There were 20 deaths last year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact reporter Steven Slivka at sslivka@reviewjournal.com. Follow @StevenSlivka on Twitter.