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Woman killed by train
 Mansfield police and fire officials stand by the scene of a fatality at the Mansfield Train Station Friday afternoon. (Staff photo by Mark Stockwell)
Top Headlines Victim struck at Mansfield station
MANSFIELD - A woman was killed after being struck by a high-speed Acela train traveling south on the tracks near the Mansfield station Friday afternoon.At 3:40 p.m., police first received a call that a person had been on the tracks and had been hit by an Amtrak Acela train. The train had been traveling from Boston to New York City, and ultimately Washington, D.C. Police had not identified the victim as of Friday evening. The body was in such a condition that police were only able to describe the victim as a white female. According to witnesses, however, the victim was a woman in her late teens or early 20s. "I've never seen something like this in my life," said one on-looker who did not wish to give her name. "People were just screaming." The accident occurred on track one, near the platform where riders wait for trains. It is against the law to be on the tracks and the train station has several warning signs. Train traffic was stopped in both directions for about 30 minutes as a result of the accident, Peter Roy of the MBTA police said. Friday night, police said they were not certain how fast the train was traveling at the time of the accident, but that the maximum allowable speed through the area is 150 mph. Roy said the initial investigation has shown no mechanical problems with the tracks or signals. None of the 264 passengers on the Acela were injured, according to Cliff Cole, an Amtrak spokesperson. Amtrak trains were delayed up to an hour during the late afternoon commute. MBTA commuter trains also experienced delays. Massachusetts Transit Police were at the scene investigating, as well Mansfield police and fire officials, Amtrak police, Massachusetts State Police and the Foxboro Fire Department. The investigation was being led by Lt. Mark Gillespie of the Massachusetts Transit Police. Directors from the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home in Attleboro Falls picked-up the remains under an arrangement with the state's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The fatality is the third train-related fatality in Mansfield in the past two years. On Sept. 6, a 21-year-old Mansfield woman was killed when she was struck by an MBTA commuter rail train near her home. In January 2007, a 15-year-old boy was killed by an Acela train as he crossed the station's tracks.
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turcat2 wrote on Nov 8, 2008 10:40 PM:
djken wrote on Nov 8, 2008 10:02 PM:
kk wrote on Nov 8, 2008 8:20 PM:
You people are pathetic "
mary wrote on Nov 8, 2008 6:25 PM:
Having said this, the Mansfield station is not safe! The inbound platform where the 1st two cars pull in is very narrow and frequently commuters walk on the yellow line to get to the first car. I have seen them do this while the announcement is being made that a train is approaching. The announcement does not state whether it is a high speed Acela or a commuter train. It is only a matter of time that another person will be hurt or killed. The platform on the inbound side does not allow for commuters to pass behind those waiting. Instead they take a chance and walk on the yellow line sometimes while the train approaching announcement is being made. One slip in the winter and it may be the end. "
harry hindsight wrote on Nov 8, 2008 5:43 PM:
liss wrote on Nov 8, 2008 3:19 PM:
phkn518 wrote on Nov 8, 2008 12:50 PM:
Secondly, I agree that there has to be more measures taken perhaps there should be additional longer fencing with razor wire or a totally different type of fence to prevent crossing and or fence jumping between the in and outbound track as people are in such a hurry to cut over the tracks rather than walk around and under the bridge that they choose to ignore the signs.
Let's hope that something is done. 3 train tragedies in Mansfield alone in a year is 3 too many. "
VAdeveloper wrote on Nov 8, 2008 12:48 PM:
There is no doubt these trains travel at ludicrous speeds through these terminals, and it is very easy to see how anyone could get killed by one of these, even if they are standing on the platform.
But this time, the Acela was not to blame. "
harry hindsight wrote on Nov 8, 2008 12:39 PM:
hardhearted wrote on Nov 8, 2008 10:05 AM:
At the train station there are signs and fences (at least there were the last time I was there)yet when someone is hit there is a call for someone to do something.
Her death is tragic, but was preventable. "
five angels wrote on Nov 8, 2008 8:38 AM:
Just b/c Amtrak said nothing was malfunctioning doesn't mean signals worked. "
spookey wrote on Nov 8, 2008 6:11 AM: