Man on tracks in Porter an opportunity for police to learn




Porter Police Officer Thomas Blythe

Porter Police Officer Thomas Blythe

A call about a trespasser on the Norfolk & Southern Railroad tracks in Porter on Aug. 1 turned into an incident that will be shared around the country for years to come.

Porter Police Officer Thomas Blythe had his body video camera on that day and his response to the situation will now be used to train law enforcement officers when they encounter similar situations.

Blythe and Assistant Porter Police Chief Jason Casbon were called that Sunday morning to the tracks by Beam Street and U.S. 20.

Casbon said that he and Blythe decided that they would approach the situation from different locations on the track.

As it turned out, Blythe was closer and first saw the man in his 20s, laying down on the tracks. Blythe said the Duneland area man was troubled and had reportedly made conflicting statements about whether he wanted to live.

That’s when Blythe heard the horn of the approaching Amtrak train. The train was traveling at 79 mph on its way into Porter that day.

Jessica Feder of Operation Lifesaver of Indiana presents an award to Porter Police Officer Thomas Blythe on Sept. 21 for his actions getting a man off the railroad tracks in August. JAMES WOODS/photo

Jessica Feder of Operation Lifesaver of Indiana presents an award to Porter Police Officer Thomas Blythe on Sept. 21 for his actions getting a man off the railroad tracks in August. JAMES WOODS/photo

“I was fearful for the man’s life,” Blythe said.

Blythe said he was about 30 to 40 yards from the man and with the speed of the train, he knew he didn’t have a chance to get to him. He said he motioned and yelled for the man to get off the tracks.

The man did, just in time.

Casbon, who watched from a distance, said: “They (the Amtrak train) did have to initiate an emergency stop. They were that close. They would have hit him.”

Blythe doesn’t want to take credit.

“He made the decision to get off the tracks, my actions notwithstanding. He ultimately made the decision to live,” Blythe said.

But others see Blythe’s actions as heroic and he was honored Sept. 21 at the Porter Town Hall by Operation Lifesaver of Indiana. The Federal Railroad Administration also presented an award to Blythe. His awards coincide with the observance of Indiana Rail Safety Week.

Indiana is known for being the “Crossroads of America” and that unfortunately carries with it the potential for crashes at railroad crossings, said Jessica Feder, executive director for Operation Lifesaver of Indiana. She said last year there were 93 crashes at railroad crossings which resulted in eight deaths and 44 injuries. There were also eight deaths from people trespassing on tracks.

Feder said the video from how Blythe responded that day has been used already in the training of law enforcement officers. She said all too often, they have video of what officers did wrong in responding to these situations.

“This is a clear example of something awesome,” Feder said.

Blythe, 33, who joined the Porter Police Department three months ago after 10 years with the Porter County Sheriff’s Office, said he has found the experience to be humbling. He said he is especially grateful that the video footage from the incident will be used in a positive way to train law enforcement officers.

Body worn camera video footage of Blythe as he approached the man on the tracks can be found on the Chesterton Tribune’s website, www.chestertontribune.com.

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