(The following story by Maline Hazle appeared on the Record Searchlight website on December 28.)
RED BLUFF, Calif. — A man killed while lying on the railroad tracks was identified Monday as Bruce Calef, 37, of Red Bluff.
A spokesman for the Tehama County coroner’s office said Calef apparently committed suicide.
Red Bluff police said that a Union Pacific train engineer reported a man lying partially on the tracks about 700 feet north of Breckenridge Street near Walton Avenue just after 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
The engineer told police he first thought that there was a tarp on the tracks.
When he realized it was a man, the engineer activated the brakes, but was unable to bring the northbound train to a stop before it struck Calef, said Red Bluff police Sgt. Scott Capilla.
Calef died at the scene, the coroner’s spokesman said.
Capilla said Calef was not lying completely across both rails.
He said the man rested his head on a pillow placed on one of the rails.
While the death remains under investigation, authorities believe Calef probably committed suicide, Capilla said.
Calef, who lived in his car, left a note, he said.