Train accident victim identified
The victim of a train accident in Washington Township has been identified as a Belle Vernon man.
Fayette County Coroner Dr. Phillip E. Reilly identified the man struck early Saturday as Sandor Macz, 39, who died from blunt force trauma. Reilly said it was extremely foggy when a CSX engineer spotted someone lying between the rails.
The fully-loaded freight train was going about 25 mph when the man was spotted, Reilly said, making the incident unavoidable.
Reilly said there was no indication of foul play and a report that the man may have attempted to sit up as the train approached.
Reilly is awaiting the results of toxicology tests to determine if the man was impaired at the time of the incident.
The incident was reported Saturday at 3:11 a.m. Heavy fog and a steep embankment made it difficult to reach the scene, which was in the area of 280 Naomi Road, the Naomi coal tipple, off of Route 201. Reilly said two deputy coroners responded to the scene along with the Washington Township police and fire departments. Responders needed to rappel down an embankment to recover Macz’s body, which was then lifted up the embankment in a Stokes basket.
“It shows what a team effort it took. They did a yeoman’s job,” Reilly said.
Reilly said there was no identification on the body, though there was a distinctive tattoo of a bear paw and eagle on the man’s shoulder.
“That was the only lead we had,” Reilly said.
Initially, there were no reports of a missing person in the area, but later Saturday a relative contacted officials to ask if the man found on the railroad tracks had a tattoo like the one found.
Macz was positively identified by family members at the Eley-McCrory Funeral Home in Fayette City.
CSX Police are continuing to investigate the incident.