Final moments before Commuter Rail train slammed into truck investigated

ABINGTON, Mass. — A mangled wreck is all that’s left of a pickup truck that was hit by a Commuter Rail train in Abington Tuesday evening, killing its 78-year-old driver.

Now investigators are working to try and piece together the final moments before the inbound train on the Kingston-Plymouth Line slammed into the vehicle at the North Street crossing just before 8:30 p.m.

Police said 10 people were on board the train at the time of the crash, and passengers described the chaotic moment of impact to Boston 25 News.

MORE: Driver killed after pickup truck hit by Commuter Rail train in Abington

“As we were entering Abington, all of a sudden, the train started jerking violently. All of a sudden you heard a loud ‘bang’ and one of the conductors came running back and he goes, ‘We struck a pickup truck,’” passenger Charlie Wood said.

Neighbors said they went running when they heard the crash.

“We live a couple doors down from the railroad tracks, and we came running when he heard it,” neighbor Cathleen McGillycuddy said. “It was a huge crash and we saw the truck right over. I guess he went through the guards that came down.”

Investigators will be looking into the railroad crossing arms were working properly at the time of the crash.
Passengers on board the train were not allowed to exit after the crash, so staff handed out glow sticks to illuminate the cars.

No one on the train was injured.

The victim in the truck has only been identified as a 78-year-old man.

The investigation is continuing.

Cox Media Group