(The following story by Craig Myers appeared on the Press-Register website on August 5.)
MOBILE, Ala. — A 46-year-old man apparently tried to commit suicide with the help of a CSX Corp. train in Bay Minette early Saturday, police said.
Michael Bryan Merch of U.S. 31 in Bay Minette was listed in serious condition Monday at the University of South Alabama Medical Center with a severed left leg and internal injuries, said Police Chief Michael Rowland.
The conductor of the train told police Merch laid down between the rails of the track at about 3 a.m. Saturday, Rowland said. Facing the oncoming train, he put his legs over the rails and was struck by it, despite efforts by the locomotive engineer to stop, the chief said.
Merch’s leg was severed at the knee, police said. He was taken by helicopter from the site of the incident, between Armstrong Avenue and Railroad Street, to the Mobile hospital, Rowland said.
Investigators believe Merch was “despondent” over recent domestic problems, according to a statement from police.
Counseling services will be available, the chief said. He said conductors did everything they could to stop the train and the company has offered video of the incident to investigators.
Rowland said he wasn’t sure how long the train was or how fast it was moving.
A freight train traveling at 55 mph needs more than a mile to stop — a distance equal to 18 football fields, the CSX Corp. Web site states.