30-year-old man fatally struck by train in Hobart

A 30-year-old man was fatally struck by a train last week in northwest Indiana.

James Allen Anderson III was found unresponsive several yards west of the pedestrian crossing on the south side of the railroad tracks near 5th and Main streets in Hobart just before 9 p.m. Thursday, according to Hobart police and the Lake County (Ind.) coroner’s office.

A witness told police that Anderson was sitting on the tracks as the eastbound train approached, police said. The witness said Anderson stood up in the middle of the tracks as the train approached and began making hand gestures toward the train.

The witness yelled to Anderson to get off the tracks, and Anderson attempted to step off the tracks at the last minute but was struck by the train, police said.

A conductor said the train was traveling about 42 mph when he saw a man standing on the middle of the tracks, jumping up and down, and waving his arms in the air, police said.

The conductor blew the train’s air horn continuously to get him to move out of the way and saw him jump to the south side of the tracks at the last second, but believed the train had struck him.

Another conductor told investigators it appeared the man acted as if he was “playing chicken” with the train, police said.

Anderson, of the 700 block of Ash Street in Hobart, was pronounced dead at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart at 9:38 p.m. Thursday, according to the coroner’s office.

His death was ruled an accident.