A 26-year-old Santa Barbara man is in critical condition after being hit by a train while walking his dogs about 2 p.m. Tuesday.
The victim has been identified as Micah Paul Ross. He is being treated in the Intensive Care Unit at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for severe injuries to his pelvis region.
Ross was hit on the tracks by a southbound passenger train about 100 yards south of the Las Positas Overcrossing.
The train engineer reported that the train was traveling at 63 mph. Without any warning, the train operator saw Ross cross the tracks immediately in front of the train, from north to south. Ross held two medium-sized pit-bull mix dogs on 6 foot leashes. The engineer had no time to sound a warning before Ross was hit.
The two dogs were not injured and remained at the scene. City Animal Control has taken custody of the dogs.
After the collision, the train was delayed at the scene for about an hour.
The engineer said that because the engine of the train was at the rear, the noise from the approaching train would be quieter than otherwise expected. Also, the ambient sound of the adjacent freeway would make hearing the train more difficult.
— Lt. Paul McCaffrey is a public information officer with the Santa Barbara Police Department.