AMTRAK Train Strikes And Kills Man In Virginia

LORTON, Va. (WUSA) - AMTRAK officials say that train #79, the Carolinian, traveling from New York to Charlotte, NC, struck and killed a man in Lorton, Virginia.

The accident happened at approximately 11:30 AM near Lorton Road and Gunston Cove Road.

According to Fairfax Police, the train was traveling south when the engineer spotted a man standing next to the tracks. Police say the man was apparently wearing ear muffs. The engineer sounded the horn several times and the man stepped onto the tracks with his back to the train. Police say the engineer activated his emergency equipment to try and stop the train, and that the man turned around and faced the train but didn't get out of the way in time, and was struck.

Police are trying to idenfity the man who was killed, who is described as a black man in his fifties, wearing a UPS uniform, a UPS sweater and black sweat pants.

AMTRAK says the train was carrying 108 passengers and the authorized speed at that point is 108 miles per hour. According to AMTRAK, no passengers were injured in the accident.

VRE service was also affected for a part of the afternoon. Trains were stopped for some time but are running again throughout the area.