A man hit Monday evening by a Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train was in “serious” condition Tuesday at St. Anthony Hospital in Denver.
Police said Max Benally, 46, and another man were lying down near the train tracks on railroad property when a train traveled south past them near 31st and 30th streets, injuring Benally.
Police said previously the men were walking near the tracks.
Benally could be charged with trespassing for being on the tracks when he shouldn’t have been, said Cmdr. Ray Shupe, a spokesman for the Durango Police Department.
Train engineers tried to rouse the two men and stop the train before Benally was hit, Shupe said.
“They saw them lying there and blew the whistle, which then stirred them,” he said.
The train’s engine seriously injured Benally, and he had to be airlifted to St. Anthony Hospital in Denver for care, Shupe said. Benally was in the intensive-care unit at the hospital Tuesday, said Gianna Lisac, a hospital spokeswoman.
It is unknown if the two men were sleeping or passed out, Shupe said. Police suspect Benally may have been intoxicated with alcohol, Shupe said. Benally could face criminal charges for trespassing on train property, Shupe said.
The uninjured man was charged with trespassing and taken to Detox, he said. Shupe didn’t have immediate access to the uninjured man’s name. Benally could face a fine if he is convicted of trespassing, Shupe said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
Reader Comments