A 59-year-old man was struck and killed by a freight train in Washington state Wednesday after his electric wheelchair became stuck on the tracks.
Richard Geiger, a Puyallup resident, was killed in the collision that happened shortly after 2 p.m. at the North Meridian railroad crossing near 201 North Meridian Avenue in Puyallup, near the city's train station, the Puyallup Police Department said.
Geiger was stopped on the tracks when two people nearby tried to help free his wheelchair. However, they were unable to get him to safety before the train struck, police said. He died at the scene.
An earlier report indicated that one of the witnesses was also struck by the train, but that was found to be inaccurate, police told The Independent.
The cause of the collision is still under investigation, though Puyallup Police Operations Captain Jeremy Hedrick said Wednesday that it did not appear to be intentional, KOMO News reported.
A Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway freight train was involved in the collision, according to local reports.
The collision prompted road closures and traffic delays around the crossing as emergency crews responded.
The road and all railroad crossings were reopened shortly before 9 p.m.
Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that could assist investigators to contact the Puyallup Police Department tip line at 253-770-3343 or email tips@puyallupwa.gov.