Man Killed After Commuter Rail Train Hits Truck in Cohasset

A 78-year-old man died Saturday morning after an MBTA Commuter Rail train struck his pickup truck at the Beechwood Street railroad crossing in Cohasset.

Cohasset police said the crash occurred around 11:20 a.m. when a Boston-bound Commuter Rail train collided with a 2015 GMC pickup truck, killing the driver. The man was pronounced dead at the scene despite the prompt response of paramedics from the Cohasset Fire Department. His identity has not been released.

“It does not appear to be any type of failure on the part of the equipment,” said Cohasset police Chief William Quigley. Witnesses reported that the truck drove around flashing lights and safety gates before being hit by the northbound train.

Police said the train was likely traveling at the 35 mph legal speed limit at the time of impact. No one on board the train was injured, but passengers were stranded for several hours until shuttle buses transported them out of the area.

Keolis, the company that operates the Commuter Rail, confirmed that the crossing gates and warning system were working properly when the crash occurred. The vehicle was declared a total loss.

The Greenbush Line reopened Saturday evening. As of 4:30 p.m., Beechwood Street was reopened and the scene cleared, according to police.

The incident is under investigation by the MBTA Transit Police, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, and the Cohasset Police Department.

There have been at least three other reported incidents in Massachusetts this year where MBTA Commuter Rail trains collided with vehicles at railroad crossings, including a fatal one last week in Abington.

Quigley urged caution for all drivers at railroad crossings. “The train is always going to win,” he said. “Even if the gate is up, I still slow down and look.”