Residents say the three regularly hung around the tracks. Police believe they may have been asleep.
In Mobile, Alabama, the operator of a train involved in a tragic incident where three homeless individuals were fatally struck on the tracks expressed that he was unaware of the presence of the victims and never visually noticed them.
According to the Alabama Port Authority as reported by WALA-TV, another train engineer who had a different vantage point along the tracks made the grim discovery of the bodies over six hours later on Tuesday. Subsequently, Mobile law enforcement was alerted to the situation.
Two of the victims were found together, police said, while the body of the third was located nearly 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) away.
The single-track railway runs through a densely populated section of Mobile, connecting to port facilities.
Law enforcement officials revealed that among the deceased were two men aged 46 and 63, however, their identities have not been disclosed to the public as the process of informing their families is still pending. The third individual has yet to be positively identified by authorities.
Residents in the area said the three would regularly hang around the tracks. Police believe they may have been asleep.
Police said the train sounded its horn before moving through the area and no criminal charges would be filed.