MUST SEE!!! A train hopper on the SD&IV jumps off and wipes out in front of me!!

(4:17 is where the guy jumps off)

In the early morning hours of June 16 I made another trek out to the MTS Blue Line to catch the San Diego and Imperial Valley's Blue Line manifest making it's usual run from San Ysidro to downtown San Diego. However, this night was not an ordinary night for me because there was a guy riding on the end of the train and at one of the trolley stations where I was set up he jumped off right in front of the camera!

Shot 1: The northbound manifest crosses Palm Avenue in South San Diego with SD&IV 3GS21B Gensets #s 702 and 701 providing power. I only had a few seconds to set up before the gates were activated because I hung around the San Ysidro yard trying to determine if the train would be leaving, but I didn't have a clear view of it so I had to stay longer.

Shot 2: At the 8th street trolley station there were track crews performing maintenance down the line, which forced the train to slow down. As it was coming one of the guys hanging out in the station decided he wanted to be famous and made some poses on the crossing.

As the end of the train came up I could see someone standing on the end. Initially I thought it must have been a maintenance guy or a railroad employee, but the lack of a safety vest or any safety equipment made me quickly realize that it was a train hopper! I also saw him get ready to jump off, so I just watched in disbelief as he hopped off, lost his footing, and rolled across the ground! He was limping a little right after, but after I left he seemed to be just fine. Good thing the train was running slow.

Shot 3: With its journey complete, the train pulls into the downtown yard.

And before anyone asks, no I didn't call the cops or report him because I figured he probably has it hard enough already and he wasn't harming anyone but himself so I minded my own business. Besides, he hoped off at a station where there are cameras and an MTS crew truck actually pulled up and two guys got out so he probably did/will get questioned about it.