A tragic incident unfolded Thursday morning in Puyallup when a 75-year-old man was fatally struck by a BNSF freight train, prompting an investigation by law enforcement. According to FOX 13 Seattle, the collision occurred around 8:44 a.m. near N. Meridian and E. Main Avenue, where the man died at the scene.
Puyallup Police believe the incident was an accident as multiple witnesses reported seeing the elderly man attempting to run across the railroad tracks before being hit by the oncoming train. The consequential investigation and response by Puyallup Police and Central Pierce Fire and Rescue units led to temporary road closures in the area. As detailed in a KIRO 7 report, the incident resulted in road blockages at North Meridian, the Bypass, and the Fourth and Fifth Street Northwest railroad crossing.
Further details from KOMO News, clarify that the deceased was a local Puyallup resident who worked in the immediate area. He was either coming or going to work when he tried to outrun the train. The Puyallup Police Department underscored their belief that this was not a case of suicide, noting the victim's fatal encounter with trauma next to the tracks.
The local roads impacted by the investigation and accident scene reopened to traffic around 1:50 p.m. that same day after being closed for approximately four hours, facilitating the resumption of normal flow within the community after the area had been cleared by emergency crews.
