An unidentifdied man was killed Friday afternoon when he was struck by a train while on a train trestle south of Clarksville, according to the Johnson County sheriff’s office.
The man, believed to be between 45 and 55 years old, was hit by a Union Pacific Railroad engine about 3:15 p.m. as it crossed over the confluence of Little Spadra Creek and the Arkansas River just west of Spadra Park.
A news release from the sheriff’s office said the impact threw the man from the trestle, which did not have railings, and he fell 30 feet into the water.
Witnesses at the park directed emergency crews to the scene.
The crews included sheriff ’s deputies, Clarksville police officers, Union Pacific Railroad personnel and Army Corps of Engineers personnel who responded to a 911 call.
The Johnson County Dive Team found the man’s body in 13 feet of water after a 10-minute search, according to the news release. Johnson County Coroner Dave Cogan pronounced the man dead at the scene, the release said.
The man’s body was to be sent to the state Crime Laboratory for autopsy and to determine his identity.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 16 on 03/23/2014