Man dead after being hit by train Monday night in Bloomington, Indiana

A 58-year-old man was pronounced dead after being hit by a train around 10:30 p.m. Monday night, according to Monroe County Coroner Joani Stalcup. The identity of the 58-year-old man is being withheld until next of kin are notified.

An eastbound Indiana Railroad freight train slammed on its brakes around 10:30 p.m. and the sound of the brakes punctuated the night and could be heard inside houses on the westside. Soon police on the scanner were talking about a train accident possibly involving a pedestrian. Police and the Bloomington Fire Department searched the tracks, until a person was found deceased on the tracks near the intersection of Hopewell and West 7^th Street. The coroner was then called as the death was investigated, and police secured the scene.

The train finally stopped on the tracks just west of Rev. Ernest D. Butler Park on 9^th Street. Third Street at South Muller Way was blocked by the train for several hours during the investigation.

The Bloomingtonian reached out to the coroner early Tuesday morning, and received the following this morning:

“I can confirm that the Monroe County Coroner along with the Bloomington police department is investigating an accident involving a train that struck a pedestrian. The coroner’s office was notified at 12:06 am that a 58 year old male was struck by a train and was pronounced dead at the scene.  The incident occurred near 7th and Hopewell St. at approximately 10:30pm.   No further information will be released at this time pending notification of the next of kin.”

Bloomington Police Department Captain Ryan Pedigo released the following Tuesday:

“On January 9, 2023, at approximately 10:30 p.m., officers responded to the railroad crossing on W 3rd Street near Muller Parkway in reference to a report of an Indiana Railroad train colliding with a person. Officers arrived and learned that the collision actually occurred on the train tracks closer to the area of W 7th Street and N Hopewell Street. The engineer advised officers that the train was headed northeast in this area when he observed something in the middle of the tracks. He then began to blow the train’s horn but the object did not move. The engineer then activated the emergency stop mode of the train, which did cause the train to stop, but not before colliding with the object. Once the train was stopped, the engineer disembarked from the train and walked back to the area where the collision occurred, where he discovered that the train had actually struck a person.

The decedent was identified as a 58-year-old man. The man’s identity is not being released at this time until the Monroe County Coroner’s Office has located and notified next-of-kin.”