A Chesterton man lost a leg early Sunday morning after a train struck him as
he was lying next to the Norfolk Southern rail line, Porter Police said.
Lt. John Lane told the Chesterton Tribune today that at 12:10 a.m.
the conductor of a Canadian Pacific train traveling westbound on the line at
43 miles per hour observed a male subject lying parallel to the tracks near
the North Jackson Blvd. grade-crossing and “up against the south rail.” As
the man was seen to “roll toward” the tracks, Lane said, an emergency stop
was placed on the train, which, however, did not succeed in coming to rest
until its 18th car had passed the man.
Lane said that Porter hospital EMS stabilized the man, who lost one leg in
the incident and sustained significant damage to the other. The man was
transported to Porter hospital along with his severed leg, put on ice, Lane
said.
The man “appeared to be intoxicated,” Lane added.
Both Porter PD and Canadian Pacific are investigating the incident.
