INDEPENDENCE, IA – An Iowa man who was laying on railroad tracks died after a Canadian National Railroad train was unable to stop in time and ran him over.
On Thursday, May 08, 2014 at approximately 9:15 pm, the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office received a report from Canadian National Railroad officials that a CN train had struck an individual that had been on the railroad tracks near the Wapsipinicon River just outside of the city limits of Independence.
According to the investigation, CN train operators observed a male lying on the railroad tracks on the east side of the Wapsipinicon River that runs through Independence. Emergency brakes were applied but the nearly mile-long 76 car eastbound CN train was unable to stop and struck the individual. The individual, identified as Thomas Lee Davis, 40, of Independence, was pronounced dead at the scene. No foul play is suspected in this incident.
Emergency officials were on scene for approximately three hours while the initial investigation was performed. The body was removed from the scene and transported to the Buchanan County Health Center in Independence by Area Ambulance Service and will be transferred to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny for an autopsy. It may be several weeks before toxicology reports and other details are available.
The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Independence Police Department, Independence Fire Department, Area Ambulance Service, Iowa State Patrol and Canadian National Railroad Police.
[poll random]
Was there anything left? I heard when trains strike deer, the deer explode.