Freight Train Conductor Credited With Saving Life of Homeless Man Lying on Tracks

A freight train conductor is being credited with saving the life of a homeless man who who was lying on the tracks in Georgia, according to authorities. The Marietta Police Department said the conductor was operating a "a mile-long freight train at full normal speed” when he noticed the man.

"Because of his swift action, he was able to stop the mile-long train before striking the male," police wrote on Facebook.

After stopping the train, the conductor jumped out to tend to the man, who was suffering from hypothermia. Authorities said the man had fallen on the track and wasn’t about to get up, according to WJCL. The man was then carried to safety and transported to a Kennestone Hospital in Marietta for treatment, authorities said.

“If struck by the swift-moving train, would surely have been killed instantly," the police department wrote on Facebook.

"We talk about 'situational awareness' as it relates to you avoiding becoming a victim of crime, but it absolutely applies here as well!" the post said.  "KUDOS SIR!!!” 

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