Man rapt in cell call is hit by trainHe didn’t hear horn; injuries not serious
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
By Paul Rioux
A man engrossed in a cell phone conversation while walking on railroad tracks during Sunday’s Krewe of Slidellians parade did not hear the horn of a slow-moving freight train that hit him from behind, causing minor injuries, Slidell police said.
Clifford Lyons, 25, of Slidell, declined medical treatment for bruises and a small cut on his head after being knocked to the ground by the Norfolk Southern train near Front Street and Erlanger Avenue, Staff Sgt. Brian Nicaud said.
“He’s lucky the train had slowed to about 10 mph because of the parade,” Nicaud said. “It probably would have been a different story if the train had been going 35 mph like they normally do.”
As the parade rolled down Front Street, Lyons was walking south on the tracks at 2:42 p.m. when the 107-car train came up behind him, police said.
The conductor sounded the train’s horn and yelled out the window for Lyons to get off the tracks, Nicaud said. When Lyons didn’t respond, the conductor applied the brakes, but it was too late.
The cow-catcher on the front of the lead engine clipped Lyons’ legs, causing him to spin around and hit his head on the engine as it passed, Nicaud said.
Police arrived to find Lyons dazed but not seriously injured. He told officers he was so engrossed in his phone conversation that he was oblivious to the approaching train until he heard the brakes squeal.
Reached on his cell phone Monday afternoon, Lyons declined to comment.
“I’m just trying to forget about it,” he said.
His wife, Lisa Lyons, disputed a police report that says her husband was walking on the tracks with his back to the oncoming train.
She said he had been watching the parade w