A 59-year-old man using an electric wheelchair died on Wednesday, October 21, after he was struck by a freight train near the North Meridian crossing in downtown Puyallup, Washington, Puyallup police said.
Source: Focal News (Puyallup Police)
The man was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Puyallup police Captain Jeremy Hedrick, as reported by Focal News. The Seattle Times, via the Seattle Courant summary, also reported one person killed after being struck by a freight train in Puyallup on Wednesday.
Police said two people nearby tried to help the man off the tracks before the collision. Early reports that another person had been injured were incorrect, Hedrick said, according to Focal News. The cause of the collision was not reported, and police have not released the man's name in the reports available.
Crossings blocked, trains delayed
The collision blocked downtown railroad crossings in Puyallup. Police advised drivers to use State Route 512, the Shaw Road Bridge, 15th Street Southeast at East Pioneer Avenue, or 12th Street Northwest at West Stewart Avenue as alternate routes.
Sound Transit reported delays on its S Line service between King Street Station and Lakewood Station while emergency crews and investigators worked at the scene, according to the reports. No further conclusions about how the man came to be on the tracks have been announced.