ATHOL — A Leominster man killed Tuesday after being struck by a train in Athol was identified by the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office Wednesday morning.
Police say Raymond Regan, 65, was on foot Tuesday morning, traveling west on a roughly 100-foot long railroad trestle crossing the Millers River in Athol, when he was apparently “unsuccessful in removing himself from the tracks as a train approached,” according to Mary Carey, spokeswoman for the DA’s office.
Regan was transported to Athol Memorial Hospital, where he was declared dead shortly after noon.
Athol Police Chief Russell Kleber described the death as a tragic accident.
“I don’t think the general public understands about train safety and why they have to stay away from railroad tracks, because if you make a miscalculation with a train, it’s not going to bode well for you,” he said.
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. The incident remains under investigation.
Representatives of the Athol and Royalston police and fire departments, State Police assigned to the Athol barracks, railroad police, and State Police assigned to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office responded to the scene, according to Carey.