Man struck by locomotive in Rochester, gets up and walks away

Updated at 11:40 a.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 24-year-old walking on the railroad tracks in Rochester last night, was hit by a train and taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital with head and neck injuries.

“The crew said he was walking down the tracks, the train approached,” West Thurston Regional Fire Authority Chief Robert Scott said. “He stepped off to the side but not far enough.”

Firefighters called about 9:35 p.m. to the area near 183rd Avenue Southwest and Pendleton Street searched around the train, Scott said. They were joined by the crew of the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad train which had stopped, but didn’t find the man.

A sheriff’s deputy located the victim two blocks away on Daryl Lane, Scott said.

Ambulatory and conscious are not findings usually associated with such a call, Scott said.

“He was clipped by the corner of the engine, knocked clear and fell down in the gravel,” Scott said.

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office described the injury as minor. Scott said visually it was obviously serious, but, he was still walking and talking.

Medics transported the patient to the Olympia hospital. He was treated and has been released, a hospital spokesperson said this morning.

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 17th, 2015 at 9:38 am and is filed under Top story of the day. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

2 Responses to “Man struck by locomotive in Rochester, gets up and walks away”

  1. The Sleeping Giant says:
    Monday, August 17, 2015 at 6:52 pm

    Ah ha the Classic Darwin Awards… cant hear a train coming.. yes Dumb. Or wearing heads phones

  2. Ron Green says:
    Monday, August 17, 2015 at 12:16 pm

    Another Darwin Award candidate escapes the inevitable….