An unidentified man was hit by an eastbound freight train in Riverhead just before 1 a.m. on Wednesday.
The man was on the railroad track about a quarter-mile east of Mill Road when a New York and Atlantic Railway freight train came through, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said.
He suffered serious injuries and was transported by Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps to Stony Brook University Hospital.
The victim is described as a Hispanic male in his 20s or early 30s, medium height and build, with two simple tattoos — a heart and a bird, according to Sr. Margaret Smyth of the North Fork Spanish Apostolate.
MTA police provided Smyth with photos of the victim, which cannot be published due to the extent of his injuries.
Smyth is attempting to assist police with identifying the man. She said she has been canvassing the area, including the wooded area near the railroad track where the man was hit. Homeless people often camp in the woods in that vicinity, she said.
“We’re hoping we can find out who he is and who he belongs to,” she said. “We’re asking people to spread the word.”
Pedestrians were struck by westbound LIRR passenger trains in the same stretch of railway east of Mill Road in December 2014 and June 2016.
Anyone with information about the incident or who knows of a man who has been missing is asked to contact Sr. Margaret at 631-369-4601.
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