A man believed to be homeless died after he was struck by a freight train in Riverside just before midnight Tuesday, June 27, the Riverside city Fire Department said.

There is a homeless encampment near where the man’s body was found – underneath the La Sierra Avenue bridge over the 91 Freeway, Battalion Chief Jeff DeLaurie said.

It was unclear exactly why the man was on the tracks.

“The (train’s) engineer stated that he appeared to be sleeping on the tracks,” DeLaurie said.

The engineer sounded his horn, and that appeared to awaken the man, but he could not get off the tracks in time.

Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback said the incident is being investigated as a possible suicide.

The eastbound BNSF train stopped just past the La Sierra Metrolink station after the engineer reported that he thought the train had hit someone. Firefighters walked back about 100 yards and found the man, whose identity had not been announced as of Wednesday morning.