A man sustained injuries that were not life threatening Tuesday evening when a train struck him in Camas.
BNSF Railway spokesman Gus Melonas said a man in his 50s on a bicycle apparently tried crossing at Third Street near Goot Park around 7:30 p.m. as a train was approaching.
“And he apparently was fumbling — dropped something, was bending over — and was struck by the train,” Melonas said, adding that the train’s whistle was sounding.
Camas Police Department Sgt. Scot Boyles said the warning lights and bells on the crossing were going off when the man apparently tried to beat the train. As he crossed the tracks, the bike tumbled over and his fishing gear spilled out, Boyles said.
The man was trying to right himself and move his things when “the train, for lack of a better term, clipped him,” he said.
The train struck his side and bounced him into nearby rocks, Boyles said. When aid arrived, he was conscious, breathing and complaining of shoulder pain.
The man’s name and more information about his condition wasn’t available, but Boyles said paramedics indicated the man’s injuries weren’t life-threatening. He was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.
The train was hauling empty cars and going about 25 mph, Melonas said.
Melonas said the collision shut down the track for about 1½ hours and delayed 10 trains. Thirty-five trains use that line daily, he said.
