"A freight train was passing them on one side, and somehow, they ended up being hit by an Amtrak train while they were on the tracks," said Sgt. Michael Thomas of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.
According to authorities, the conductor saw the three men on the tracks on the 6500 block of East 26th Street at about 8:30 p.m. Monday and tried to brake. He was able to slow the train from 79 mph to about 40 mph, but just couldn't stop in time.
The men, said to be in their 20s, have not been identified. It's not known why they were on the train tracks.
The Amtrak train was heading to Union Station in Los Angeles from San Diego and was carrying 125 passengers. The passengers were stranded for some five hours before the train was allowed to continue to its destination.
