The Athens Police Department is still investigating the death of a pedestrian struck by a train Friday night.

Chief Floyd Johnson said it’s unclear if the death of 28-year-old Joshua L. Patterson of Athens was an accident or suicide.

A toxicology test should determine if he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time. Limestone County Coroner Mike West said the tests are standard practice if a pedestrian is hit by a train.

Patterson was struck at about 8 p.m. as he walked along the tracks near Forrest Street. The CSX train operator notified authorities he had struck someone and immediately stopped the train.

After a brief search by police and rescue personnel, Patterson’s body was found in the vicinity of Forrest and Pryor streets. Funeral arrangements were to be announced by Spry Funeral Home.

Patterson is the second person to have been struck and killed on the track this year. On March 15, 53-year-old Kevin L. England of Antioch, Tennessee, was struck and killed by a train on the elevated track near the intersection of U.S. 72 and Jefferson Street.

Train safety

According to statistics from railroad safety advocacy group Operation Lifesaver, a pedestrian or vehicle is hit by a train every three hours in the United States. Ninety-five percent of rail-related deaths are the result of drivers going through a crossing or because a person is walking on the tracks.

It takes a mile or more to stop a train moving at 55 mph, even after the emergency brakes are applied. For reference, that’s the length of 18 football fields.

Johnson said it’s commonplace to see people walking on the CSX line in Athens, but they should be cognizant of the fact it’s a busy track. He added it’s also considered trespassing for citizens to walk on the tracks, though CSX would have to initiate the charge.

Project Lifesaver’s most recent statistics, which are from 2015, show there were 11 trespass deaths in Alabama in 2015, compared to six the previous year. Nationally, there were 893 trespass deaths in 2015.