MANCHESTER, NH – A man who was reportedly lying on the railroad tracks near Depot Street was seriously injured early Tuesday morning when a freight train struck him.
According to Pan Am Railways Executive VP Cynthia Scarano, at about 2:45 a.m. on Aug. 28 a man, described as a “trespasser,” was laying between the rails when he was was struck by the freight train. The train was traveling at about 10 mph and the crew reported the man was lying between the “gauge,” which is the rails, according to Scarano.
When the crew noticed that there was a man on the rails they put the train into “emergency” mode to slow the train.
The man, whose name was not released, was conscious and breathing, but suffering from “serious” injuries, was taken to the hospital for treatment. No further information was available as to his condition, or the circumstances that led him to be on the tracks.
The train was en route from Worcester, Mass., to its final destination in Concord, Scarano said.
The area next to the tracks, behind Market Basket, has become a gathering place for some of the city’s homeless population, who can often be seen camped out next to the tracks. In April the city targeted the area along the tracks as one of several locations that was becoming more populated with homeless camps.
