Police ID Person Fatally Struck By Train On Long Island

EAST FARMINGDALE, NY — A person was killed when an LIRR train struck their vehicle on Thursday night in East Farmingdale, the MTA Police Department stated through a spokesman.

The MTA identified the victim as Lucien Jean, 62, of Wyandanch, in an update on Friday evening.

Long Island Rail Road train 1977 struck a vehicle that was stopped on the mainline tracks of the LIRR at the Wellwood Avenue crossing, just west of Pinelawn Station, at 8:24 p.m., the department stated. The train departed from Ronkonkoma around 7:56 p.m. and was headed to Penn Station.

The vehicle was split in half upon impact and burst into flames, killing Jean, who was the lone occupant inside the vehicle, the MTA stated. The train had stopped at Wyandanch station and its next scheduled station stop was Farmingdale, officials said.

No injuries are known to have been reported by any of approximately 100 passengers and crew members aboard the train, the MTA shared. One car of train 1977 sustained significant damage, according to the LIRR.

The MTA Police Department, LIRR Fire Marshal and the East Farmingdale Volunteer Fire Company responded to rapidly extinguish the fire, authorities said.

"The investigation into how the vehicle entered onto the tracks is in its early stages and is ongoing," an MTA spokesman said.

Video surveillance confirms the safety gates were functioning as designed at the crossing and were in the lowered position with red lights flashing at the time the vehicle was struck, the MTA stated.

The train was traveling at approximately 80 miles per hour, "an acceptable speed between Wyandanch and Farmingdale stations, and as is routine, its horn is reported to have sounded on approach to the incident crossing," the MTA stated.

There was damage to the tracks and signal infrastructure, as well as some tipped third rail, according to the LIRR.

Approximately 100 LIRR employees worked through the night to return service in advance of Friday morning peak hours, the LIRR stated.

Track two was restored to service at approximately 2:30 a.m. Friday, allowing the LIRR to operate east of Farmingdale on one of two tracks, according to the LIRR. At approximately 11 a.m. Friday, service was fully restored on the Ronkonkoma Branch.