AMHERST — An investigation into the incident in which a 40-year-old man was struck by a freight train Wednesday afternoon is continuing.
The unidentified man, who is recovering from his injuries at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, was walking in the right of way for the New England Central Railroad tracks near the High Street crossing shortly before 1 p.m. when the incident occurred.
Michael E. Williams, a spokesman for Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc., said in an email that the railroad company is providing whatever assistance it can to police.
“The southbound train crew reported that a male trespasser was walking southbound in the railroad right of way and did not respond to the train horn,” Williams said. “The crew applied emergency braking but was unable to stop before striking the person.”
The train remained at the scene for more than two hours during the initial investigation.
According to statistics from Operation Lifesaver, 909 pedestrian rail trespass casualties, which include both fatalities and injuries, occurred in 2015. There were fewer than 19 casualties in Massachusetts.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
