76-year-old man killed when train hits vehicle in Dyer

An elderly man was killed when an Amtrak train hit a vehicle Friday morning in northwest Indiana.

Authorities were called about the crash at 8:41 a.m. at the railroad crossing on 213th Street just east of Sheffield Avenue in Dyer, Indiana, according to a statement from Dyer police. Emergency crews arrived to find the vehicle in a ditch and near a stopped northbound Amtrak train.

The driver, 76-year-old Richard Christy of Dyer, was thrown from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:38 a.m., according to police and the Lake County coroner’s office. His death was ruled an accident.

There were two dogs in the vehicle at the time of the crash, police said. One was dead at the scene while the other was taken to a nearby animal hospital.

The crash remained under investigation Friday, police said.