TACOMA, Wash. — A 31-year-old man was killed Thursday night when he crossed in front of an Amtrak train while running with a group, according to Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad investigators.
According to his fellow runners, the man was with the Tacoma Runners and was on their weekly Thursday night three-mile "Beer Run," which has been held weekly in Tacoma for years and ends in a local bar or restaurant.
They say the man was with other runners near a railroad crossing at McCarver and Ruston Way as a north-bound freight train passed by them. Witnesses say the runner crossed the tracks away from the crossing arms, which had been lowered, and did not see the Amtrak train coming from the opposite direction.
The sudden death was difficult for the club, which has about 150 members.
"As many of you already know, we had a tremendous tragedy this evening during our run," a member posted to the Tacoma Runners Facebook page. "We aren't going to go into details here or name names, but we lost one of our runners in a heartwrenching accident. His wife also runs with us, and she was running tonight. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers. Our hearts go out to everyone involved."
On Friday, the medical examiner said that the man's name is Cale Tyler.
Tyler's family told KIRO 7, "Cale was the most loving, caring, fun person, just genuine, he lived life to the fullest and always wanted all of his friends and family around him. He will be missed by everyone who had the priveledge to know him. He will especially be missed by his wife, Jennifer."
Tyler worked at a vascular ultra sound technician at Multi-Care in Tacoma. His wife works there, too.
Libby Lindstrom, who was running with the group, said it appeared the victim never heard or saw the oncoming train.
"The freight train had passed, and he was kind of in the back of the group, and the Amtrak train hit him, coming from the other direction," she said. "Everyone made it except for him."
Burlington Northern Santa Fe investigators say it happened on their tracks, and they say the runner was trespassing on a part of the tracks away from the crossing while the crossing arms were down and a northbound freight train had just passed by.
BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said this incident was the 23rd death on their tracks this year in Washington state. He said it's the second-highest number of fatalities on BNSF tracks in 25 years.
He indicated the runner was clearly trespassing when he was struck Thursday night.
Deron Jones works at The Spar Tavern right above the tracks near where the accident happened. "They'll cross it, thinking that the train is clear, and all of a sudden, another train goes flying by," described Jones. He says it is hard to hear when there is a second train, and the Amtrak trains go faster than the cargo trains.
"You can't hear any of the trains coming, like you can hear them going this way but you think it's just one way. You can't hear the ones coming the other way," said Jones.
Tyler's memorial service will be held on Nov. 25 at 4 p.m. at Edwards Memorial Center.
Tyler's relatives say that the community has been extraordinarily kind. They say they are grateful for the support they've recieved from afar.
KIRO
