Moorpark man dies in collision with Amtrak
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

SEBASTIAN RAMIREZ/Acorn Newspaper WRECKAGE- Pieces of Lowell Withington's vehicle remain lodged beneath the train that struck his truck while he attempted to cross the tracks.

Local resident Lowell Withington, 76, died when his pickup truck was hit by a train at an unprotected private crossing in Moorpark on Monday.

Withington was heading west on Poindexter Avenue. He turned onto a driveway that crossed the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks to access open land he was leasing on the north side of the tracks when the train arrived.

As the vehicle was crossing the tracks, the eastbound Amtrak train headed for San Diego struck the driver's side of the vehicle, sending it into a nearby drainage ditch, said Ron Nelson, spokesperson for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. No one on the train was injured, Nelson said in a press release.

The train was traveling about 50 miles per hour, said Sr. Dep. Ed Tumbleson for the Moorpark Police Department. The speed limit in the area is 70 miles per hour. The train's horns were blaring, but the driver never stopped or slowed down, witnesses told police at the scene.x

AFTERMATH- Fire and emergency crews clear away the wreckage of Withington's vehicle after a fatal collision.

Withington, who lived on Gabbert Road, frequently drove across the private crossing to get to the open lot, the deputy said.

Withington was president of Midway Drilling and Pump Company in Saticoy.

"He was a very hard-working and caring individual and would make sure that all jobs were done as best as they could for the customers," said office manager Sandy Cornelius. Withington was a generous man who would give anybody the shirt off his back, she added.

The Moorpark resident was married to Willa Withington for 54 years. He had two daughters and one son, Harvey Withington, who will now maintain the company, Cornelius said.

The unprotected railroad tracks have been a longstanding problem, said Hugh Riley, assistant city manager for the city of Moorpark. "But the tracks are on private property, so the city doesn't have any jurisdiction."

"It's very sad," said Councilmember Keith Millhouse, who serves on a Metrolink committee.

Although he didn't know the circumstances of the accident and what caused it, Millhouse wanted to remind people to be extra cautious around rail crossings.

"We don't know what caused the collision but trains are deceptive in terms of the speed they move at," Millhouse said.

"My thoughts and prayers go with the family," he said. Officials will review the complete accident report in detail, he added, and determine if anything can be done to prevent a similar accident in the future.

There are several private uncontrolled crossings outside of town but only two within the city limits, Tumbleson said.