#TrafficAlert: Tenn @ Munn Park #dwnt #lkld closed due to accident. Train vs pedestrian. Patient taken to #LRH. @LakelandPD investigating. pic.twitter.com/aQNVPqDkaO

— Lakeland Fire (@LakelandFD) April 5, 2017

A 34-year-old Pensacola man died after he was hit by a CSX freight train near Munn Park around 2:15 p.m. today, police said. Witnesses said the man, who was later identified as Eric John Velazquez, appeared to intentionally lean toward the train.

The train continued and it didn’t appear that the conductor realized what happened, Lakeland Fire Department spokeswoman Janet Vasallo told Bay News 9. Rescue personnel initiated life-saving procedures and rushed Velazquez to Lakeland Regional Health, where he was pronounced dead around 20 minutes after the accident.

Tennessee Avenue was closed near the railroad tracks for a brief period.

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Barry Friedman founded Lkldnow.com in 2015 as the culmination of a career in print and digital journalism. Since 1982, he has used the tools of reporting, editing and content curation to help people in Lakeland understand their community better.

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