His death is the second Amtrak-pedestrian death involving cell phone use in South King County in the past three weeks. A 17-year-old Kent girl was killed April 21 while crossing tracks near downtown Kent. Witnesses said she was talking on a cell phone and carrying an open umbrella, which both may have impeded her awareness.

Police believe the man killed at about noon Wednesday was in his 50s and from Auburn. He was walking northbound on the Burlington-Northern Santa Fe tracks at about 8th Street Northwest and C Street Northwest.

The Amtrak Cascades passenger train, on its Eugene, Ore., to Seattle run, was traveling in the same direction at about 80 mph, according to Sgt. Scott Near with the Auburn Police Department.

Near said the train engineer sounded the horn and applied the emergency brake but couldn’t stop in time to avoid the man. The victim apparently didn’t hear the horn. His body was found about 300 yards from where he was hit, Near said.

The identity of the man wasn’t released Wednesday by the King County Medical Examiner.

The collision occurred south of busy 15th Street Northwest and Emerald Downs race track. The train was held at the scene for about two hours, according to an Amtrak spokeswoman. A southbound Bellingham-to-Portland Amtrak run was delayed 28 minutes north of the scene.

BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said two BNSF freight trains in the area also were delayed for two hours.

He said the Auburn death is the seventh train fatality in the state so far this year.

“This is a reminder to the public to always keep an eye out for movement of a train on any track in any direction,” Melonas said, adding that is the first lesson taught to railroad workers.

Melonas noted it’s illegal for anyone to trespass on railroad property except at designated crossings.

Paul Petersen, a spokesman for the Kent Police Department, said the April 21 accident occurred about noon on a cold, windy day.

He said the Amtrak train was blowing its horn at the teenage girl, who was looking away from the train and crossing the tracks illegally. He said witnesses said the umbrella apparently blocked her view of the train and she appeared preoccupied with a cell phone conversation.

Similar cases have been reported around the country of people who were listening to cell phones or iPods – or were engaged in text-messaging – and were either killed or injured by a train as they crossed the tracks.

Valley Regional Fire Authority Chief Stan Laatsch, whose firefighters responded to Wednesday’s death scene in Auburn, said railroad tracks tend to appear safe when trains aren’t around.

“But they are dangerous,” he said.

“People should consider not wearing an iPod or any other hearing device while out walking in the world,” Laatsch added. “You can’t hear approaching danger, whether it’s a car, a truck or a train.”

Mike Archbold: 253-597-8692