Man Killed By Train in Wapato
Wapato train fatality scene
A Toppenish man is dead tonight after being hit by a train in Wapato early this morning.
The accident happened around 2:30 a.m. east of a railroad crossing on Donald Road. A Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesperson says the victim was lying next to the rail line when the train hit him.
The county coroner identified the victim as 37 year old Arthur Martin. One man says he was with Martin just before the accident, he says he can't believe his friend is gone.
"We didn't think cause he walked off by himself, and we didn't think nothing happened like that though, it shocked us all," says Marvin Kahama.
The accident forced railroad authorities to close the rail line for two hours, delaying three trains. The accident remains under investigation.