Pedestrian Struck by Train

Press Release

April 7, 2014
Case 14-013394

At approximately 4:20 PM on Monday April 7, 2014, a 20 year old man from Jenkintown was struck and killed by an outbound train on the SEPTA West Trenton Line. The accident happened approximately ½ mile east of the Old York Road Bridge over the tracks in the Jenkintown section of Abington Township. The man was walking west on these tracks which would have been with his back to trains traveling west and just after a bend in the tracks. He was walking to meet a friend at the Wawa Store which is on Old York Road and Rodman Avenue, Jenkintown. It appears that the victim was texting the friend on an iPod when he was struck.

The engineer stated that he came around the bend and saw the man on the tracks. He continuously blew the horn and locked up the breaks but was unable to stop the train in time to avoid hitting the man. The engineer said that although he was continuously blowing the horn, the victim never turned or acknowledged that he knew the train was coming. The victim, whose name is not being released until all of his family can be notified, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Trains were interrupted on the West Trenton Line for approximately two hours during the investigation.

Approved for Release by:
Deputy Chief John A. Livingood