Eyewitness: 'It Was a Very Gruesome Sight to See'

For more updates on this story, please visit Darien Patch where the original report was published Monday morning.

Update 10:28 a.m.:

Here’s a first-hand account from this morning from Jaclyn Discala, who said she was waiting on the Metro-North Railroad platform at Darien Station around 7 a.m. Monday when an announcement that the train to New York would be leaving from the other side of the tracks.

“I went to the opposite track and then heard an announcement that the eastbound trains to new haven would no longer be stopping at Darien,” Discala said in an email to Darien Patch. “This left the kids who were coming to the Darien station for the 7:17 train stranded with no ride. I informed kids and parents as they were being dropped off that the train was not coming due to an accident. I spared them the sad details which I heard from an online news blurb.”

Discala said she boarded a crowded 7:30 a.m. train to New York that was “pretty crowded.”

“We were informed that anyone who wished to exit in Noroton Heights had to exit from the rear two cars, which gave people little time to get there,” she said. “When we arrived in Noroton Heights, I saw people running from the normal platform to come to the opposite platform as they had to do in Darien. There were about five Metro-North employees there, one on the track and four on the platform.

“One police officer was on the phone, one was diverting train passengers, and two were walking on the tracks with a measuring device to measure the distance between evidence/remains. The train, which I'm assuming was responsible for the accident, was stopped further ahead. There were evidence markers all over the tracks, however there were some rather larger remains on the tracks uncovered and unmarked.”

Discala said the victim’s backpack was “lying on the platform,” marked with an evidence marker, “and the body was below on the platform, covered in three separate drapes.”

“It is very unusual to hear about a tragedy at such a small train station, as usually you hear about them at larger stations such as South Norwalk and Stamford,” Discala said. “My train arrived in Grand Central around 8:50, 20 minutes late. It was a very gruesome sight to see.”

Update 10:23 a.m.:

To clarify the MTA 9:55 a.m. announcement: Bus service between Stamford and Noroton Heights stations is for eastbound service. Westbound train service has been continuing between the stations.

Update 10:13 a.m.:

The MTA announced in a statement timed at 9:55 a.m.:

"Eastbound train service will resume to Darien and Rowayton starting with the 9:07 AM train departing Grand Central Terminal.  Substitute bus service will be provided between Noroton Heights and Stamford.  Please listen for announcements at your station."

Update 10:08 a.m.:

As is typical in ongoing investigations, a police officer told Darien Patch at the scene, "It's still an active investigation, so there won't be any comments from the department at this time."

Any new developments will be published here, as we find out.

Update 9:57 a.m.:

The pedestrian struck and killed at the Noroton Heights railroad station was hit sometime after 6:30 a.m., said Aaron Donovan, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

MTA police are in charge of the ongoing investigation at the tracks of the station, where two lines were out of service and two more remained in service this morning.

Update 9:41 a.m.:

One person at the scene of the pedestrian death at the Noroton Heights railroad station sent Darien Patch a picture of investigators on the tracks. The woman told Patch the site was "a pretty gruesome scene."

Some commuters were presented with a gory, bloody sight, according to the woman.

Update 9:24 a.m.:

Here's the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's latest update, posted at 9:14 a.m.:

"New Haven Line Service continues to experience delays of up to 15 minutes due to police activity in the vicinity of Noroton Heights.  In addition, substitute bus service is being provided in lieu of eastbound train service for Noroton Heights, Darien and Rowayton.  Westbound train service continues to be provided at these stations.  Please listen for announcements at your station."

Update 9:10 a.m.:

Westbound service is delayed "up to 15 minutes" on New Haven Line trains stopping at the Noroton Heights, Darien and Rowayton stations as a result of the pedestrian death on the tracks, according to Metro-North.

Eastbound service is now being provided by substituting buses to bring commuters to trains in Norwalk, said Aaron Donovan, an MTA spokesman.

Original article:

A pedestrian was hit and killed by a train in Darien Monday morning, according to multiple news outlets, prompting Metro-North Railroad temporarily to shut down its Noroton Heights, Darien and Rowayton train stations.

According to NBC Connecticut, the 5:38 a.m. Grand Central-bound train out of New Haven -- which typically would travel through Darien about 40 minutes after departure -- was involved in the accident.

The person struck was a trespasser, NBC Connecticut reported.

In an email alert Monday morning, Metro-North had said that passenger service on the New Haven line was disrupted because of police activity in the Noroton Heights area.

A 7:53 a.m. alert from Metro-North said:

"At this time, eastbound trains will not be stopping at Noroton Heights, Darien and Rowayton. All eastbound trains will carry customers to South Norwalk where they will need to transfer to a westbound train back to local stations. Customers at Noroton Heights, Darien and Rowayton must board a Westbound train to Stamford and transfer to an eastbound train for service east."

Patch will have more information as it becomes available.