(The Associated Press circulated the following story on December 7.)
EXETER, R.I. — Rhode Island State Police have identified the man who died in Saturday night’s snowmobile accident in Exeter.
Troopers said Richard Gardner, 46, of South Kingstown was riding a snowmobile when it was struck from behind by a high speed Acela Exprress train.
The impact sent him down an embankment into a remote area near the Exeter-North Kingstown line.
Troopers said the accident occurred in near white-out conditions Saturday night.
Amtrak officials said the crash scene is in a stretch of track where the speed limit is 150 miles an hour.
Amtrak spokesman Dan Stessel said the snowmobiler was trespassing on the tracks when he was struck shortly before 8 p.m. by the Acela Express train heading from Washington to Boston.
Stessel said the area where the accident happened was not a designated crossing.
The train was held at the scene for more than two hours and three other trains, all heading from Washington to Boston, were also delayed by the incident.