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Salt Lake City police have identified the man killed by an Amtrak train at a downtown crossing early Thursday.

Police said that Joseph Guitierrez, 34, of Salt Lake City, was instantly killed about 2:30 a.m. Thursday when he darted in front of the train. The crossing's safety barrier near 800 West and South Temple was lighted and active at the time.

On Friday, however, Salt Lake City police Detective Dennis McGowan said investigators had confirmed that Guitierrez was deaf. That, along with indications he may have been drinking shortly before the accident, "may have contributed to the incident," McGowan said.

Investigators also said that Guitierrez was carrying a package of take-out food at the time he was hit. The train's operator saw him approaching, but was unable to stop in time when Guitierrez suddenly attempted to beat the train, police said.

There were no injuries to the train's crew or its 114 passengers. However, the train —the California Zephyr, en route from Chicago to the San Francisco Bay area — was delayed more than three hours due to the investigation.

Bob Mims