Train operator: victim didn't acknowledge oncoming train - NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

An Amtrak train struck and killed a man in Spotsylvania, Wednesday afternoon, around 4 p.m.. Investigators are trying to find out why the man didn't move out of the way. Authorities say they have no reason to believe it was suicide.

The Amtrak train was coming around a bend near Mine Road. As it took the turn, investigators say the train operator abruptly spotted a man walking directly in its path.

"(The train operator) barely even honked the horn before they struck him," said Captain Mike Harvey, of the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office. Harvey says there was no time for the train to brake. Passenger trains can reportedly take a mile, give or take, to come to a stop. Further, Harvey says the train operator noted that the man didn't even acknowledge the oncoming train, when he was crossing the tracks.  

The train, screeching to a stop, hit the man. Officers rushed to the scene. However, the victim had passed.

Nearly 230 people on board the Amtrak train waited for more than three hours, before another train came to pick up the passengers. Two other trains were also delayed.

Investigators are trying to find out how this man didn't seem to notice a loud, oncoming train.

"Unfortunately, those are questions that we'll never answer because once you're struck by a train, it's fairly permanent," said Harvey.

A medical examiner in Richmond is working to confirm the identity of the victim, using DNA and dental records.

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