Reporter staff
The man struck and killed by a train Dec. 26 at the West Main Street and C Street Northwest intersection, near Auburn Station, has been identified as an Auburn resident.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the victim as 41-year-old Kyle Nielsen. Results of the investigation into Mr. Nielsen’s death are pending.
Amtrak’s Seattle-bound Coast Starlight train fatally struck Nielsen around 7:45 p.m., police said.
BNSF officials said the warning devices at the railroad crossing at West Main Street were functioning properly at the time of the incident.
“We don’t know why this happened, whether he was in deep thought or what, but he kind of meandered across the tracks,” said Auburn Police Cmdr. Steve Stocker.
“I haven’t seen the video, from what I’ve heard, it does not appear to be suicide. It looks like he realized there was a train and that he made a minor attempt to get out of the way, but it was too late. It looks like he did not realize the gate was down, that there was a train coming, and unfortunately, he was hit,” Stocker said.
