A man was struck and killed by a MARC train Friday morning in Gaithersburg, Md.
The victim was 81-year-old James Thomas Clemons. Investigators said the incident happened at about 8 a.m. on Summit Avenue near East Diamond Avenue.
Montgomery County police spokesman Cpl. Dan Friz said the man was hurrying across the train tracks to try to board the train when he was struck. He died at the scene.
Both sets of CSX tracks and the vehicle crossing on South Summit Avenue were closed for the investigation, causing significant delays. The crossing and rails reopened at about 10:30 a.m., and trains were running on schedule Friday evening.
MARC got buses to take passengers to the Shady Grove Metro Station Friday morning, and Metro honored MARC tickets.
Clemons was a retired Methodist minister and professor at Wesley Theological Seminary who had written several books. He was dedicated to suicide prevention and founded the group Oasis to assist suicide survivors, NBC Washington's Pat Collins reported.
Clemons had recently stopped driving because he didn't believe he was suited for it anymore, Collins reported.
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Sources told NBC Washington that the death probably will be classified as an accident.
