Man Struck By Train On South Side
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A man was taken to the hospital this afternoon after he was struck by a train on Pittsburgh's South Side.
The incident happened around 2 p.m. near the intersection of Merriman Way and 22nd Street.
According to witnesses and police, two men – who were allegedly heavily intoxicated – were standing near the tracks. One of them wandered onto the tracks and was hit head-on by a train that was moving at a high rate of speed.
"The train screeched to stop," said Bill Martin, a witness. "I came down and the person was lying face down on the gravel, breathing, but was pretty bad."
Martin said the train tried to stop, but didn't stand a chance.
"It was going pretty fast. It wasn't speeding, but it was going pretty fast. That's an 80,000 ton locomotive; it's not going to stop that quick," said Martin.
Witnesses say the victim may have been too intoxicated to hear the train, and that he walked right into the train's path.
"I don't know how he couldn't have heard that train. It blew long. I guess he was intoxicated," Martin said.
The victim was found at the scene, unconscious, face down and bloodied. He was rushed to UPMC Mercy Hospital where he's in critical condition.
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