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EDWARDSVILLE — A man suffered serious injuries Tuesday afternoon when he was struck by a freight train near Kirby Park while lying next to the tracks, officials say.

The man, whose name was not available, was transported to the trauma center at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township, said Kingston Fire Chief Frank Guido. He described the victim as a white male in his 20s.

Guido said the man was conscious and talking as emergency medical personnel carried him to an ambulance parked at the Gateway Apartments.

The man insisted he was not hit by the train, but the engineer for the Norfolk Southern train confirmed the incident, Guido said.

Jonathan Glass, a spokesman for Norfolk Southern Corp. in Norfolk, Va., said the man was struck around 1:30 p.m. as the the train traveled north to Binghamton, N.Y.

“The train and engine crew applied emergency brakes, but was unable to stop the train before striking the male, who was lying next to the rail,” Glass said in an emailed statement.

Norfolk Southern is assisting in the investigation led by Edwardsville police, who have yet to release the victim’s name.

The train was 4,574 feet long — or more than three quarters of a mile — with three locomotives, 43 loaded cars and 31 empties, Glass said. Because of their weight, trains take much longer to stop than a car, he explained.

Fire and ambulance personnel were dispatched to the scene by Luzerne County 911. The man was struck north of the Black Diamond Bridge that crosses the Susquehanna River and in a wooded area at the park’s edge. When the train finally came to a stop, it straddled the river levee that overlooks the apartments and tennis courts in the park.

People are urged to use caution around railroad tracks, and walking on or near tracks is illegal and dangerous, Glass said. Pedestrians walking on tracks other than at approved crossings are considered trespassers and subject to arrest, he added.

A man suffered serious injuries Tuesday afternoon when he was struck by a freight train near Kirby Park in Edwardsville.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL081517Train1-2.jpg.optimal.jpgA man suffered serious injuries Tuesday afternoon when he was struck by a freight train near Kirby Park in Edwardsville.

A freight train is stopped near Kirby Park in Edwardsville after the engineer reported hitting a man on the track Tuesday afternoon.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL081517Train2-2.jpg.optimal.jpgA freight train is stopped near Kirby Park in Edwardsville after the engineer reported hitting a man on the track Tuesday afternoon.

By Jerry Lynott

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Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.