Man, 24, pronounced dead after being struck by train in northwest Indiana

A 24-year-old man was pronounced dead early Sunday after a train ran over his body in northwest Inidiana.

At 4:33 a.m., investigators responded to a railroad crossing near the intersection of Morthland Drive and Axe Avenue in Valparaiso, according to Porter County Coroner Chuck Harris.

A Norfolk Southern engineer was maneuvering an eastbound train around a curve when he saw Joseph Niepokoj lying motionless on the tracks, Harris said. The engineer was unable to stop to avoid Niepokoj, who was then pronounced dead at the scene.

The cause and manner of his death have not been determined, Harris said. He lived in Porter, Indiana.

An investigation was ongoing.