Man Hit by Freight Train Badly Hurt, but Survives

A man in his mid-30s suffered severe injuries after he was struck by a Union Pacific freight train Thursday afternoon in Pacoima, according to authorities.

The man was hit as he tried to push a shopping cart across the tracks near San Fernando Road and Osborne Street just after 3 p.m., said Los Angeles City Fire spokesman Brian Humphrey.

The victim was accompanied by a dog, who wasn’t hurt--but the dog growled and briefly delayed medics from aiding the man, Humphrey said.

The victim was rushed to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, where he was in guarded condition, said hospital spokeswoman Linda Boulton.

The man, believed to be a transient, had not been identified, Humphrey said.

The train, headed from Saugus to Burbank, struck the victim with such force that his right foot was partially severed. He also suffered severe chest and abdominal injuries and a laceration to his head, Humphrey said.

Although the train was stopped for 30 minutes, no one aboard was injured, said Mike Furtney, a spokesman for Union Pacific. There were no delays for Metrolink commuters traveling the Antelope Valley line, said Peter Hidalgo, a Metrolink spokesman.

Both Metrolink and Union Pacific officials said it’s rare for someone to survive being struck by a train.

Hidalgo said train accidents occur more often from January through March than any other time of the year.