Man struck by train while trying to cross railroad tracks in Merced

A man was injured Monday when he tried to cross railroad tracks in Merced despite an oncoming train, according to police.

The collision was reported about 1:30 p.m. at the Southern Pacific railroad crossing near R Street, resulting in “serious” injuries, according to Sgt. Tony Aponte.

Investigators believe the man was walking south across the tracks before he was struck, he said. It’s unclear if the man stepped in front of the train on purpose or was trying to beat the train across the tracks, he said.

The man was taken to a Modesto-area hospital.

The areas of R Street, V Street, O Street and M Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way near the tracks are closed temporarily, Merced police said.

“Please avoid this area if possible,” police said in a social media post.

This story was originally published November 6, 2017 at 2:02 PM with the headline "Man struck by train while trying to cross railroad tracks in Merced."