Sacto 9-1-1: Elk Grove police plan railroad safety sweep

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Sacto 9-1-1

The Sacramento Bee's Crime blog is a comprehensive report of crime news, trends and information for your community and beyond.

January 6, 2009

Elk Grove police plan railroad safety sweep

From Sandy Louey:

Elk Grove police and Union Pacific officials are cracking down on trespassers along railroad tracks in the city.

A pedestrian safety sweep is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Wednesday and last for several hours.

The sweep comes in the aftermath of Matthew Gordon-Hernandez's death. The 15-year-old died Dec. 17 after he was hit by a train while walking on railroad tracks near his Elk Grove home.

The engineer reportedly sounded the horn and applied the brakes, but the train couldn't stop in time.

Pedestrians shouldn't be using railroad tracks as shortcuts to pedestrian and bicycle paths. Railroad tracks and right-of-way are considered private property, according to Officer Christopher Trim, spokesman for the Elk Grove Police Department.

The sweep is timed for the afternoon because that is when the trespassing occurs. Train conductors also have reported objects being thrown at trains or placed on the train tracks, he said.

Trim said there will be zero tolerance for trespassers. Anyone within 50 feet of railroad tracks will be issued a misdemeanor citation for trespassing on the railroad right-of-way.

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