A 53-year-old Lawrence resident died after being run over by a train Saturday afternoon in North Lawrence.

The person, whose name and gender were not released, was apparently trying to remove something from the tracks when the train approached, said James Barnes, a Union Pacific Railroad spokesman.

Lawrence Police released a short statement about the accident Saturday but would not identify the person until family members were notified, Sgt. Paul Fellers said.

Officers were called about 1:15 p.m. Saturday to the tracks near Lincoln and North Second streets to investigate. They found the victim to the west of the overpass above North Second Street, Fellers said. The 53-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

Barnes said the accident disabled the 129-car train headed from North Platte, Neb., to Kansas. The conductor was unable to stop the train, he said.

“It looks like it was a tragic accident,” Barnes said. “Our hearts go out to the family.”

Along with local law enforcement, special investigators from Union Pacific and other company officials responded to the accident to help Lawrence Police and offer the conductor peer counseling, Barnes said.

The train was not derailed but was held for a couple of hours before being released.

Union Pacific was alerted to the accident after company dispatchers contacted the critical inquiries office, which handles all incident reports.

Barnes emphasized that people should stay away from railroad tracks, even if an item is on the tracks or their car breaks down there.

“Just get out of the way,” he said.