They are still trying to beat the trains here in Texas. Bruce
Man Dies In Collision With Train
A San Antonio man who tried to beat a train on the city's west side died Sunday when his car collided with that train.
The victim was identified as 28 year old Paul Mandujano.
Witnesses told police Mandujano tried to beat a train at Zarzamora and Merida streets.
"The guard rails were already down," said witness Rose Madrigal. "The car tried to go around over there on Merida and it stretched all the way over here to the Brady Intersection."
"I saw," recounted another witness, Xavier Rodriguez. "We were in the backyard in the garage and I heard a loud bang. Boom! And we came outside and saw the train dragging the car."
"It just sounded like thunder," added Madrigal. "You can't describe the noise. Something out of a movie, pretty much. Like when you see this in movies, this is what it looked like. But in real life, unfortunately, it was a fatality."
Investigators say Mandujano went around a car already stopped at the railroad crossing.
The train's engineer told police he saw Mandujano's car. The engineer blew the train's whistle for more than a quarter of a mile, but the car still attempted to cross the railroad crossing. The train dragged the car for half a mile before coming to a stop at Ceralvo and Hamilton streets.
Mandujano's relatives were overcome with grief as they arrived at the crash site.