Amtrak: Milford man dies after being struck by train in West Haven

NEW HAVEN — A person hit and killed by an Amtrak train Friday has been identified as a 23-year-old Milford man.

Railroad officials identified the person struck as Patrick Lapenna.

The incident is under investigation by Amtrak Police and the Office of the state’s

Chief Medical Examiner.

Train 178 was eastbound to Boston when it hit Lapenna, who an Amtrak spokesperson said was trespassing on Metro-North Railroad tracks.

No injuries to the 459 Amtrak customers or train crew were reported, Amtrak said.

The train was about five miles west of New Haven, in the area of West Haven, according to Amtrak officials.

The train was delayed by two hours and 42 minutes. The incident also delayed Train 478, Amtrak said.

Trains on the New Haven line with Metro-North Railroad were also delayed because of the incident.

In a prepared statement, the Amtrak spokesperson, Marc Magliari, said: “The safety of our customers, employees and public is our top priority.”

“Amtrak has a police

department with a national safety mission and a partnership with Operation Lifesaver, a national, nonprofit safety railroad education group whose goal is to eliminate deaths and injuries at railroad crossings and along railroad rights of way,” he said. “With programs across the nation and in Canada, the organization has trained volunteers who provide free safety talks to community groups, school bus drivers, truck drivers and student drivers to raise awareness of the dangers around railroad tracks and trains.”