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Defendant Apologizes For Commuter Rail Deaths

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May 27, 2008 12:51 pm US/Pacific

Defendant Apologizes For Commuter Rail Deaths

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― A man who admits causing a Southern California commuter train derailment that killed 11 people has apologized from the witness stand at his murder trial.

Juan Alvarez said Tuesday he was trying to kill himself and never meant to harm anyone else.

Alvarez asked for forgiveness from families of those killed in the January 2005 disaster involving two Metrolink trains. Some relatives of the dead were present in Los Angeles Superior Court as he testified.

The defendant says he poured gas over himself and his Jeep SUV, took out a lighter and then decided he did not want to burn himself to death because it would be too painful.

He says he then drove onto railroad tracks, hoping a train would smash into his vehicle and kill him quickly.

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