LIMERICK -- A 31-year-old Pottstown man was struck and killed by a freight train early Saturday morning in Linfield, police officials said.

When officers arrived at Railroad Street and Trinley Mill Road shortly after midnight, they found the body of Donald W. Cruickshank of Winding Road in Pottstown lying on the ground roughly six feet from the railroad tracks and about 22 feet west of the roadway intersection and railway crossing.

Witnesses to the incident -- Tom McGuigan, 34, of Creamery; Robert Fioretta, 22, of Whitehall; and Anthony Dilella, 23, of Newtown Square -- told police they "observed the victim alongside the railroad tracks, urinating on a train as it was passing before all of a sudden he was struck."

Cruickshank was struck on the head by the westbound Norfolk Southern freight train and was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:33 a.m.. An autopsy was scheduled for Saturday night.

Officers said after a preliminary investigation it appears that no criminal charges will be filed. Further information was unavailable Saturday night.

Submitted on 05/18/2003

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: The Mercury Newspaper- 18May03

Copyright © 2002 DarwinAwards.com

Jack said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
We've had a lot of train-related submissions recently, but this one is certainly different! Do you suppose that "Train Pissing" will replace "Train Watching" in certain areas?

Bert said:
Neutral: Darwin Award
Being hit by stuff hanging off trains is very common- Even more common than being hit in a vehicle by a train. The "peeing on the train" aspect keeps me from rejecting it out of hand-

Gregory said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
I was all set to eliminate this one as "too common" until I read that he was trying to piss on the train. That adds a unique twist that raises it above the other train stories.