Man dies after being struck by train in Henrico

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - An investigation is underway after a man was struck and killed by a train on Tuesday morning in Henrico.

Henrico Police says they were called to the railroad crossing near Hungary Road and Purcell Road around 7:35 a.m. after a man trespassing on the tracks was struck and killed by an Amtrak passenger train.

Police have not yet released the identity of the person killed, as they notify the next of kin. They also are not certain why he was on the tracks, but that is also under investigation.

The train remained on the scene, according to police.

“It’s a tragic time for everyone involved,” Henrico Police Lt. Matt Pecka said. “We know passengers are trying to get to their loved ones during this holiday season, but our first responders are there to work as efficiently as possible. Every investigation must be thorough and complete.”

The Amtrak train was traveling from Richmond to Boston, with many passengers stopping in Washington, D.C.

None of the 243 passengers were injured, but they had to remain on board.

Some say it took over three hours before the train began moving again.

The train accident did not cause any issues on nearby roads.

“Traffic was not, fortunately, affected. The railroad crossing there is a heavily traveled roadway along Hungary Road, but thankfully no traffic was affected,” Pecka said. “We give thanks to the passengers.”

Many travelers voiced their frustration on social media but also spoke about the sorrow of the situation.

Amtrak officials say this is the second time in 24 hours that one of their trains has fatally injured a person in Virginia.

WAVY reports, on Monday, a train traveling to Newport News hit and killed someone trespassing on the tracks in York county.

At noon, all Amtrak services returned to normal after experiencing heavy delays for hours.

Police are working alongside NTSB, FRA, CSX Police, and Amtrak Police to assist in the investigation.

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