Salinas man killed in train vs. vehicle accident in Monterey County

UPDATE: 9/11/2018 11:13 a.m. A Salinas man is dead after a train struck his truck as he was crossing the tracks in Monterey County.

According to the California Highway Patrol, it happened around 7 p.m. Monday, on the southbound side of Highway 101 and Esperanza Road near Chualar. The driver, 36-year-old Jose Emmanuel Chavarin Ruiz was traveling westbound on a private dirt road when his Ford F-150 was hit by an 11 car passenger Amtrak train.

The train was traveling from Los Angeles to Sacramento. Ruiz died at the scene.

CHP told KION Ruiz works for Triangle Farms Incorporated and was in a work truck at the time of the collision.

The street where the fatal accident occurred does not have a train traffic arm that goes down to alert drivers that a trains coming, instead there’s a stop sign.

CHP said they don’t know if the driver stopped at the sign or if he drove through it.

Investigators do not believe alcohol and or drugs played a factor at this time.

KION’s Zach Fuentes will have the latest details at 5 & 6 p.m.