A man's body was discovered early Saturday on a set of railroad tracks in central Phoenix, a situation subsequently clouded by mystery when Phoenix Police declared the cause of death wasn't a train collision. The initial alert came at about 3:30 a.m, when officers were summoned to the tracks near 20th and Jackson Streets, by the outskirts of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, as FOX 10 Phoenix reported.
Despite the proximity of the man to the westbound rails where a Union Pacific train halted for the grim find, Police stated that the man was already dead upon their arrival and that his injuries didn't match those typical of a train strike; it caused a significant disruption, much to the dismay of Union Pacific when the crossing gates remained closed for 12 hours for investigation, delaying freight movement all the way back to Tucson but eventually, workers separated the train cars allowing police access to the scene, as detailed by FOX 10 Phoenix.
The identity of the man has not been disclosed, and Phoenix police are still piecing together the events that led to the man's death, their investigation is underway, meanwhile, the medical examiner's office has taken the body into custody to ascertain the cause of death. Local witnesses have stirred further uncertainty, suggesting that the body may have been placed on the tracks deliberately—an unconfirmed but troubling theory, considering the nature of the injuries that befell the unindentified man.
Authorities are urging anyone with potentially relevant information to come forward; tips can be routed to Phoenix police at (602) 262-6151, or Silent Witness at (480) WITNESS, where anonymity for the tipster is assured, as per 12News. The case remains open and ongoing, with updates to be supplied as more information surfaces, this story will evolve with the facts.
