Allen Young released from hospital following tragic accident

A former Capitol Weekly reporter has been released from the hospital following a tragic Christmas Day accident that killed his mother.
Allen Young, 24, was hiking with his mother, Sydney Parks, 59, outside Soda Springs, near Truckee. The pair thought they were on a hiking trail, but accidentally wandered onto train tracks that were covered by heavy snow.

According to several newspaper reports, a snow-plow train come around a bend, clearing the tracks. The pair ran about 500 feet down the tracks, looking for a way over a snow-covered embankment that surrounded the tracks. Young was trying to help his mother up when they were hit. She was killed; he suffered a broken arm and foot, and was operated on in a hospital near Truckee. While the train conductor was not able to stop in time to prevent the accident, he called emergency crews and stayed with Young until they arrived. The National Transportation Safety Board is reportedly investigating the accident.

Young was a 2007 graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz, where he studied journalism and was a member of the swim team. He worked as a staff report for the Capitol Weekly from January to April, 2008, mainly writing for the Capitol Community section. After leaving to pursue full-time work, he returned to Sacramento recently to write for the Cabinet Report under former San Francisco Chronicle reporter Tom Chorneau. The publication is put out by School Innovation and Advocacy. He lives in Davis.

Young grew up in Petaluma, where he was raised by his mother after his parents divorced. Parks worked for many years as a nurse practitioner at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Rafael.

Young has been released from the hospital, and is staying with friends in Santa Rosa this month while he recovers. Anyone who would like to contact him should contact the Capitol Weekly at 916-444 7665 or news@capitolweekly.net.