Police Identify Men Killed by Trains in Separate Accidents

Police say no foul play is suspected in the deaths of two men who were struck in separate incidents by MARC trains in Gaithersburg and Germantown in the past week.

Montgomery County Police have identified the victim of Monday’s accident as Mario Ernesto Hernandez, 18, of the 700 block of West Side Drive in Gaithersburg.

Hernandez was the second pedestrian killed by a train in Montgomery County in the past week. A Germantown man died Jan. 2 after he was struck by a train near the Germantown MARC station.

Police released the names of both victims on Tuesday, and said no foul play is suspected in either case.

Gaithersburg Accident

The accident that killed Hernandez happened about 4 p.m. Monday near the Gaithersburg MARC station, 5 South Summit Ave. Commuter trains were stopped at several stations in the county for several hours while crews responded to the accident.

Investigators are trying to determine why Hernandez was on foot near the tracks when he was hit by a train. The victim died from his injuries at the scene.

The investigation has revealed the MARC train operator sounded the train’s horn and applied the train’s brakes. The operator told police Hernandez had the hood on his jacket up, which may have restricted his peripheral vision.

Germantown Fatal Accident

About 1:37 a.m. Jan. 2, William Alexander Buendia Rodriguez, 20, of the 18900 block of Pine Ridge Lane in Germantown was fatally hit by a train. Rodriguez was on the tracks near the Germantown MARC station at 19330 Mateny Hill Road. Police are investigating why he was on the tracks.

Anyone with information about either accident is asked to contact the Montgomery County Police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000.