Coroner identifies woman struck and killed by train in Merced County

A pedestrian struck and killed by a train in Merced County earlier this month has been identified by the Merced County Sheriff Coroner’s Office as 35-year-old Jessica Pierce of Stevinson, according to Deputy Michael Domingue.

At about 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 11, deputies responded to the area of North Winton Way and Santa Fe Drive to assist railway police after a pedestrian was struck by a train. Authorities said the woman was reportedly walking on the tracks when she was struck by a westbound BNSF freight train. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Merced County Sheriff’s Office investigated the death while the BNSF railway police was the lead agency investigating the collision. According to Domingue, the woman’s death was ruled as an accident.