One person hit, killed by train on Monaca-Beaver Bridge over Ohio River

MONACA, Pa. (KDKA) -- A Beaver County community is mourning after a train hit and killed a man early Tuesday morning on a rail bridge. Monaca Police Chief David Piuri said he's a 35-year-old from Beaver and with two of his friends at the time.

Police and fire crews surrounded the area by Fourth Street and Atlantic Avenue just after 12:30 a.m.

Kelli Fisher was watching TV when she noticed some commotion.

"Pretty chaotic," Fisher said.

She went outside and soon learned someone got hit by a train.

"I thought, 'Oh, God, that could have been my son playing up on the train bridge,'" Fisher said.

CSX called 911 and told them a train struck a person on the tracks of the Monaca-Beaver Railroad Bridge. Officers responded and found a man dead on the scene, with his two friends who weren't hurt.

Chief Piuri said they had walked across the bridge to Monaca and were heading back to Beaver when it happened.

It's unclear why they were on the bridge, but in a statement, a spokesperson for CSX said the three were trespassing.

Fisher and others in the community told KDKA the bridge has always been a place where kids hang out.

"They put up rope swings, and they'll swing off the edge of the bridge and jump down into the river," Fisher said.

While those on the bridge weren't kids, officials hope people understand the potential consequences.

"I couldn't imagine at that time of night getting a call that something happened to a loved one in general, let alone an accident that could have been completely, 100% avoided if they weren't on the train tracks," Fisher said.

So far, no word on whether any charges will be filed.