Local News

Man struck and killed by commuter rail while trespassing on Beverly drawbridge, police say

According to MBTA Transit Police, the man was trespassing on the Beverly drawbridge when he was struck by an inbound train.

MBTA Transit Police say a man was struck and killed Sunday morning while trespassing on the right of way on the Beverly drawbridge. John Blanding/Boston Globe Staff

By Abby Patkin

July 22, 2024

A man was struck and killed by a commuter rail train in Beverly Sunday while trespassing on the tracks, according to MBTA Transit Police.

An inbound train struck the man while he was trespassing on the Beverly drawbridge, which carries the commuter rail’s Newburyport/Rockport Line across the Danvers River in Beverly and Salem, Transit Police Supt. Richard Sullivan said in a statement.

The incident happened at about 11:45 a.m., and the man was pronounced dead as a result of the injuries he sustained in the collision, according to Sullivan. Police do not suspect foul play, he said.

“On behalf of the TPD and the entire MBTA organization we offer our most sincere condolences to the decedent’s family and friends,” Sullivan said.

Authorities have not publicly identified the man.

According to The Salem News, which first reported on the incident, a Massachusetts State Police helicopter, the Danvers harbormaster, and local public safety crews were searching for a body in the water beneath the bridge around the time of the collision. State Police and the Danvers harbormaster did not respond to requests for comment Monday morning.

In alerts posted to X, the commuter rail warned of “significant delays” on the Newburyport/Rockport Line as a result of police activity near Beverly. According to the alerts, normal train service resumed just over an hour later with lingering 30-minute delays.

Keolis, which operates the commuter rail for the MBTA, confirmed the information in the alerts and directed further questions to Transit Police.