eligible california investigators say juan manuel alvarez parked his car across some train tracks and waited for the train to barrel down. shortly before driving to the train tracks, investigators say he slit his wrists and stabbed himself, in all the nonlifethreatening places.

alvarez must have waited for a while on those tracks, because he decided he didn't want to die, after all. he jumped out of his SUV at the last minute, too late for the train to safely stop. the train crashed into his car, derailed, and injured more than 100 people, taking the lives of 11.

prosecutors charged alvarez with 11 counts of murder and has become eligible for the death penalty.

it looks like another one of those strange true stories of someone getting exactly what they wished for. [ more ]  ¶ 1/27/2005 08:40:00 PM