A 37-year old transient received life-threatening injuries including a partially amputated leg when he was hit by a train in Bend yesterday evening in a horrific accident that tied up rail and vehicular traffic for hours, police reported.

A 37-year old man was critically injured when he was struck by a train near the Bend Parkway and Hawthorne Avenue Thursday evening - Google Aerial View Map

Bend Police officers responded to the accident scene at the railroad tracks near the Bend Parkway and Hawthorne Avenue about 6:37 p.m., June 7, said Lt. Ben Gregory.

Upon arrival, they found Robert Eastman conscious, but critically injured.  Eastman was transported to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend with what were described as life-threatening injuries.  “He is expected to recover,” Gregory said.

Police believe that the train involved is a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train that eventually was stopped near Lava Butte.  Burlington Northern employees and police were inspecting the train at the time of the news release, the lieutenant said, but added “there is no evidence of foul play at this time”.

Train traffic in Bend was delayed for about two hours during the investigation, and vehicular traffic on Olney Avenue was also rerouted due to the delaying of another train.

Gregory said that Burlington Northern and the police department would like to remind everyone that it is illegal to be on railroad property and right-of-ways.