Man Hit, Killed By MBTA Commuter Rail Train In Newton

NEWTON, MA — A man has died after he was hit by a commuter rail train in West Newton, late Wednesday, according to MBTA Transit Police.

Around 8:15 p.m. police said they got a call that a man may have been hit by an inbound train on track 1 near Lowell Avenue between the West Newton station and the Newtonville station.

Newton fire fighters and EMS rushed to the area, but the man ultimately died because of injuries he got as a result of the collision. It was not immediately clear what he was doing on the tracks. And officials have not released his name or further details.

Transit Police said they and the Middlesex district attorney’s office are investigating. It's illegal to be on MBTA tracks, where trains have the right-of-way.

At least a dozen men have died after being hit by commuter rail trains this year, including a man who was killed in July in Newton and then later that month a man was hit and killed in Waltham. In August a 21-year-old was killed in Belmont, and then a man was killed in Glocester. Last month a man was hit and killed in Chelsea and an Emerson professor was killed in Beverly.

On June 1 a man was hit and killed near the MBTA Fairmount Commuter Rail station. On May 29, a man was struck and killed by a commuter rain train in Hanson on the Kingston/Plymouth line. On April 6, a man died in Wilmington on from injuries sustained after being struck by an inbound Lowell Commuter Rail train. On March 16 a man died after MBTA Transit Police say he was struck by a commuter rail train near Montserrat Station in Beverly. On February 5, a man died after being hit by a Franklin Line commuter rail train at the Norwood Depot.

In 2017, transit agencies reported 241 fatalities, according to the Federal Transit Administration. Most of these fatalities were members of the public, such as non-customer pedestrians, cyclists, and occupants of other vehicles. Rail security events (such as suicides and homicides) and non-rail collisions accounted for 68.9 percent of all fatalities in 2017.

Related:

Man Hit, Killed By MBTA Train In Newton

For information about recognizing the signs of suicide or getting help, visit www.mass.gov/dph/suicideprevention or www.suicidology.org. The Samaritans will talk at any time, by phone or by text, at 1-877-870-HOPE (4673). The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).