Man dies after falling off train headed to Utah, deputies say

ELKO, Nev. — A Louisiana man who jumped onto a train heading to Utah died after falling off it early Monday, Nevada authorities say.

About 4:35 a.m., Elko Central Dispatch answered a call from a woman who stated she feared her friend had fallen off the train, according to Elko County’s Sheriff’s Office.

The woman informed emergency responders that she and her friend, identified as James “Ivy” Woods, 24, from Shreveport, Louisiana, had jumped illegally onto a train near Elko, according to the sheriff’s office. She told deputies that she fell asleep shortly after jumping onto the train. When she awoke, she did not see Woods and called the police.

Sheriff’s deputies and Union Pacific Railroad staff began searching the area where someone may have fallen off the train. A Union Pacific Railroad employee found Woods’ body near Wells, a little more than 45 miles northeast of Elko, about two hours after the initial call.

Authorities say it appeared that Woods was hit by the train as he fell off, sustaining fatal injuries. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused him to fall off the train.