Woman Struck, Killed By Commuter Rail Train In Hyde Park
BOSTON (CBS) - Investigators are trying to determine how a woman gained access to a restricted area of train tracks along the commuter rail in Hyde Park and was struck and killed.
The train, carrying 1,200 passengers was headed from Boston to Providence. The woman was struck at 5:20, halting service for over an hour.
According to Lt. Mark Gillespie of the MBTA, commuter trains travel at least 70 miles an hour through the area that's a right of way for trains between stations. It's likely she was never spotted on the track before impact.
WBZ-TV's Beth Germano reports
"There's no indication anybody jumped over the fence prior to impact. At this point we don't think anyone went through a hole in the fence," said Lt. Gillespie.
The area is heavily fenced and Gillespie says it is regularly patrolled for any damage. While witnesses describe the victim as a teenager with red hair, the MBTA says she is older, though have yet to release an age or identification.
The body was found between the Hyde Park and Readville stations. A neighbor who lives near the track says that section leads to nowhere for anyone trying to cross it. "It doesn't lead you out into the street or over onto our street," said Janie Dorsey of Hyde Park.
