Somerset man able to walk away after being hit by train

A 38-year-old man suffered only minor injuries after he was struck by a train while walking along the CSX tracks in Somerset on Tuesday, police said.

Kevin McDougald of Somerset was walking along the tracks along the 300 block of North Pleasant Avenue about 4 p.m. when the train approached him from the rear, said police Chief Randy Cox.

Cox said McDougald was alerted to the approaching train by the train’s whistle or a passing motorist and was able to step off the tracks.

“However, he failed to clear the width of the train and was struck by the handrail of the train as it passed by him, pushing him on to North Pleasant Avenue,” Cox said.

McDougald was driven by private vehicle to UPMC Somerset Hospital where he was treated for “minor injuries” to his left arm and back.