February 28, 2012
By Eli George, WIVB.com
PORTLAND, N.Y. (WIVB) – A Tonawanda man hunting rabbits with friends Tuesday morning was struck and killed by a train in Chautauqua County.
The group of five hunters, all from the Tonawanda area, were along the tracks off East Forest Avenue in the Town of Portland around 9:30 Tuesday morning. Three of the hunters were in the brush and another hunter and the victim, 68-year-old Giovanni Faso, were along the tracks.
Authorities say Faso was looking in the brush when a train neared, sounding its horn. The hunter with Faso shouted at him several times to move away from the tracks, but Faso was struck and thrown 30 feet, landing in some brush. He was pronounced dead at the scene and taken to ECMC for an autopsy.
The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office says at this time, it appears that Faso believed he was far enough of the tracks to avoid getting hit, but that he was not. Their investigation is continuing.