Man Killed When Hit by Train

A man was killed when he was struck by a CSX maintenance and equipment train south of the Fredericksburg train station earlier this evening. The incident occured around 7 p.m., with the impact occuring just south of the Charles Street rail overpass.

According the Fredericksburg police spokersperson Natatia Bledsoe, the as-yet unidentified white man was walking along the southernmost strip of rails, headed southbound. The train was also headed southbound. Bledsoe says the engineer of the train saw the man walking with his back to the train. The engineer sounded the whistle multiple times, but the man never turned around and the conductor was unable to stop the train before it struck the man. 

Bledsoe says that it is unlikely that the victim was a rail commuter, saying that it was more likely someone who walks the tracks to get from one place to the other. Bledsoe also added that the tracks are known to be used to access a number of homeless camps located off the rail siding.

At this point, police do not know the speed at which the train was travelling. A Fredericksburg medical examiner has arrived on scene to begin conducting an investigation.

Original story below:

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A person was struck and killed by a CSX maintenance train earlier this evening. Fredericksburg Police spokesperson Natatia Bledsoe confirmed that a train carrying CSX maintenance equipment struck and killed a person just south of the Fredericksburg train station.

An alert sent out to VRE riders says that their 313 train may not be able to gain access to the Fredericksburg train station. Passengers were instructed to detrain at Leeland station and catch a cab or FRED bus home. Passengers who send receipts in to VRE will be able to get a reimbursement.

This is a developing story. Check back in with Frederickburg Patch for more details as they become known.