A man is dead after a CN fright train traveling through downtown London collided with a sidewalk plow on Tuesday.
The freight train was heading eastbound when it hit a northbound Bobcat brand sidewalk plow at the train crossing at Colborne St. and York St. around 9:40am.
London police, firefighters, and paramedics responded to the collision. The sidewalk plow operator was pronounced dead at the scene. His name will not be released until his family have been notified.
The City of London confirmed hours after the collision that the man killed was an employee of a private company contracted by the city for snow removal.
London police at the scene of a fatal collision involving a sidewalk plow and a freight train.
"We are shocked and deeply saddened by this event and wish to extend our condolences to the family," said a statement issued on behalf of Mayor Matt Brown and City Manager Martin Hayward.
The level rail crossing is not equipped with sidewalk barriers but does have street barriers, flashing red lights, and a bell to indicate when a train is coming. Witnesses have indicated the train warning signals were working at the time of the crash.
Investigators with the police traffic reconstruction unit and CN police continue to investigate. At this point they do not know whether the snow removal machinery was in use at the time of the crash.
"We don't know right now whether or not the snow was being removed at the time that he was struck," said Constable Sandasha Bough.
The stopped train blocked streets from Adelaide St. to Ridout St. for roughly five hours. Police announced the rail crossing was reopened at 3pm.
