UPDATE, 3:18 p.m – Sam Zambuto, spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said train service has returned to normal after the earlier fatality at the St. James Long Island Rail Road Station on Tuesday.
Zambuto said service was suspended between Smithtown and Port Jefferson from 12:20 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.
He also said 150 people were on the train at the time of the accident.
Earlier Story:
A man died in St. James on Tuesday after he was struck by a full eastbound train approaching the station platform, Metropolitan Transportation Authority police said.
Detective Sergeant Kim Riley of the MTA Police said the man was hit by the train at 12:20 p.m. and was pronounced dead at the Lake Avenue station when officers arrived.
"It appears he was on the platform," Riley said.
As of 1:41 p.m., the MTA was still on scene and had sealed off the area to the public while the incident was being investigated.
Riley said 100 passengers were on the train when it hit the man.
Sam Zambuto, spokesman for the MTA, did not immediately know how the incident would affect departure and arrival times ahead of rush hour. But another MTA official on the scene said buses are going to replace trains in both directions between the Stony Brook and Smithtown train stations.
Stay tuned for frequent updates.
With reporting by Lon Cohen and Christine Sampson.
