A woman died after she was struck and killed by a train Wednesday afternoon in Merced County.
Merced County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the area of North Winton Way and Santa Fe Drive at about 1:30 p.m. to assist railway police after a pedestrian was struck by a westbound BNSF freight train, according to Deputy Michael Domingue.
The pedestrian, believed to be a middle-aged woman who was walking on the train tracks, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Merced County Sheriff Coroner’s Office is investigating the death while the BNSF railway police is the lead agency investigating the collision, according to authorities.
The train’s engineer who stopped the freight train and reported the incident, is cooperating with the investigation, according to Domingue.
Witnesses reportedly told deputies they saw a woman on the railroad tracks, but the reason why she was on the tracks remains unclear, according to Domingue.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Merced County Sheriff’s Office at 209-385-7445.