A Talkeetna man riding an all-terrain vehicle was struck and killed Monday by an Alaska Railroad train near Montana Creek.
According to a statement from the railroad, the collision took place just after 10 p.m. at Mile 205.5 of the railroad tracks, south of the creek near Mile 96 of the Parks Highway. The man had been "operating an ATV near the railroad tracks" when he was hit by a freight train headed north from Anchorage to Fairbanks, the statement said.
Alaska State Troopers said in a statement that the ATV driver killed in the collision was Brian Neudecker, 45. His family has been notified, and his body was sent to the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy.
Railroad spokesperson Meghan Clemens said Tuesday that a total of six people had been on the tracks in a pair of ATVs. Neudecker was the sole occupant in the one that was struck.
"When they realized that a train was approaching, one of the ATVs was able to turn off the tracks," Clemens said. "Unfortunately, the second ATV was not and the driver was not able to get out of the ATV in time."
The railroad statement said the track right-of-way, extending 100 feet to either side of railroad tracks, is not open to the public.
Clemens urged people to avoid walking along or recreating on railroad tracks, which are an active transportation corridor at all times.
"Trains can and do operate any time of day, all year round, whether they are publicly scheduled or not, and can come from either direction," she said. "And it's really challenging for a train to come to a stop in the event of seeing someone on the track."
Those needing to cross the tracks should do so at a designated crossing, Clemens said. One such crossing, at the Parks Highway, was about a mile from the scene of Monday's collision.
"We really just want to prevent events like this happening — they're so difficult for everyone involved," Clemens said. "(Our) hearts go out to the victim and his family and friends, and a really difficult event for the Alaska Railroad crew that's involved as well."
The collision comes about a month after another ATV was struck by a passenger train on a rail bridge over the Talkeetna River. The ATV driver had jumped from the vehicle before impact, and no injuries were reported.
