In a tragic turn of events, three homeless men lost their lives on a railway track in coastal Alabama. The train engineer, who was at the helm during the incident, was oblivious to the presence of the men on the tracks and only realized the unfortunate occurrence after the fact.
The Alabama Port Authority revealed that a second engineer, who had a different vantage point of the tracks, discovered the bodies several hours later on Tuesday. Upon making the grim discovery, he promptly alerted the Mobile police. Two of the victims were found in close proximity to each other, while the third was located nearly a mile away.
The railway, a single-track line, traverses a densely populated region of Mobile and extends to port facilities. The victims were familiar faces in the area, often spotted loitering around the tracks, as per local residents.
The identities of two of the victims, aged 46 and 63, are yet to be disclosed to the public as authorities are still in the process of notifying their families. The identity of the third man remains a mystery as authorities are still trying to identify him.
The police have proposed that the men might have been asleep on the tracks when the incident occurred. They also confirmed that the train had sounded its horn before moving through the area. No criminal charges are anticipated to be filed in relation to the incident, as it appears to have been a tragic accident.
This incident underscores the perils faced by homeless individuals who often seek refuge in unsafe areas. It also emphasizes the need for heightened vigilance and safety measures on railways, particularly in densely populated regions.