Tragedy struck in south St. Louis this morning when an individual was hit and killed by an Amtrak train, Amtrak officials confirmed. The incident occurred just before 7:30 a.m. near the 4900 block of Connecticut Street, close to South Kingshighway Boulevard. FOX 2 Now reported that according to the St. Louis Fire Department, the person was pronounced dead at the scene.
The train, which was en route from San Antonio to Chicago with a schedule to arrive at its destination around 1:45 p.m., had 115 passengers on board, none of whom were injured. An investigation into how the person came to be on the Union Pacific railroad tracks where they were struck is ongoing. Amtrak described the person as "trespassing" on the railroad tracks at the time of the incident, as per KSDK.
In response to the accident, Amtrak posted an online delay notification without providing further details about the impact on its service. Travelers were left to seek timely updates directly from the company's website or customer service channels. The delay indicated the unforeseen and somber pause in a journey that, for at least a one passenger, would never reach a station's embrace.
Information concerning a the victim's identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin. The full implications of the collision on the victim's family, and indeed on the collective conscious of those aboard the train, remain an unfolding story. Meanwhile, Amtrak assures cooperation with local authorities, as reported by First Alert 4.
