Van Driver Killed in Amtrak Train Collision

A retired aerospace engineer returning from the post office was killed Thursday morning when his minivan was struck by an Amtrak train as he crossed the railroad tracks on Chatsworth Street.

The impact of the collision was so severe that the van was tossed 50 feet down the track and its engine was hurled into an adjacent parking lot. The driver, 63-year-old James Willis, was killed on impact, authorities said.

But the cause of the accident remained in dispute. Police said Willis failed to heed the tracks’ flashing red warning signals. Willis’ relatives and at least one witness questioned whether the tracks’ wooden crossing guard came down quickly enough.

Assad Zuaiter, whose car was traveling in the opposite direction, said he had to brake hard to avoid the falling railroad arm and the oncoming train. The arm on Willis’ side also fell too slowly, he said.

Los Angeles Police Det. R.S. Uber said the arm was functioning properly at the time of the crash, which he blamed on “inattention.”

Frank Willis, 35, the victim’s oldest son, expressed anger and suspicion about the circumstances of the crash. “The police said the arms came down as the train came through,” he said. “But the arms are supposed to be down before the train even gets there.”