Denair man fatally struck by freight train identified

The elderly man who was struck by a freight train in Denair on Thursday morning has been identified as 80-year-old Hanna Asmar.

Asmar, a Denair resident, was walking east on Zeering Road at Santa Fe Avenue when he crossed the tracks and was struck by a northbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe train.

“The pedestrian ignored the downed railroad arms and audible signal, entering the path of the train,” according to a press release from the California Highway Patrol.

He was thrown about 30 feet in a northeasterly direction.

Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office Detective Talea Martin said the man’s death appears to be an accident.

This story was originally published January 11, 2019 at 3:48 PM.