By: Taylor Christensen | Royal Oak Review | Published October 14, 2024 | Updated October 16, 2024 10:40am
ROYAL OAK — Andrew Lester, a 44-year-old Pontiac man, was fatally struck by an Amtrak train in Royal Oak on the morning of Oct. 12.
Royal Oak police officers and paramedics responded to a 911 call of a pedestrian, Lester, struck by a train and arrived at the scene at 9:17 a.m. in the area of Sixth and Center streets. Alcohol or drugs did not seem to be a factor in this incident, police said.
The Royal Oak Police Department released information that Lester had disregarded the crossing signals and attempted to hurry across the tracks as the train approached.
“It was not intentional. It appears he simply misjudged the speed of the approaching train,” Lt. Rich Millard, of the Royal Oak Police Department, said via email.
Millard said that the conclusion that Lester was hurrying across the train tracks came from both video surveillance and witness accounts.
Lester was transported to Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
“No additional investigative findings (if any) are available to me at this time,” Millard said via email Oct. 15.
An investigation led by the Royal Oak Police Department and the CN Railroad Police was ongoing at press time. Anyone with additional information should contact the Royal Oak Police Department, Criminal Investigation Division, at (248) 246-3456.