(The following story by Bobbi Mlynar appeared on the Emporia Gazette website on March 27.)
EMPORIA, Kan. — A train-pedestrian accident killed a Burlington Northern Santa Fe worker early this evening about 2 miles west of Emporia.
According to Lyon County Sheriff’s Deputy Garland Hendrickson, coroner Jack Havenhill pronounced the victim, Salvador Vega, 62, dead at the scene of the accident, on the tracks near Road G.
Vega is believed to be from Ottawa.
Deputies and emergency medical service workers with the Emporia-Lyon County Ambulance Service responded to the call, which came in at 6:35 p.m.
Hendrickson said that BNSF employees had been working in the area when the eastbound train came through.
The tracks were closed to vehicle and train traffic for about four hours, Hendrickson said, and Road G was closed in the accident area.
An autopsy is scheduled on Friday.
The accident is under investigation by sheriff’s deputies and BNSF police, Hendrickson said.