UPDATE:  The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office is conducting observations of RR crossings across the Parish in coming days. According to Lt. Clay Higgins with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, the recent tragic death of a pedestrian who was struck by a train could have been avoided.  Higgins says that with school soon to be out for the summer, his office hopes to heighten awareness about the dangers of RR crossings, walking on tracks, and crossing as a train approaches.

Authorities in St. Landry Parish have identified the victim in a train crash involving a pedestrian.  46 year old Michael Swank of Somerset, Kentucky was killed on impact by a Union Pacific freight train at the intersection of Highway 3043 (Grandnigo) and Highway 104 just after 11 am Saturday morning.   According to Lt. Clay Higgins with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, Swank was a transient and had no known associates or residence in Louisiana.   Higggins said that family has confirmed that Swank left home in February of  2014 and was mentally challenged.