Man held on tracks as railcar approached in B.C.'s Fraser Valley, police say
A 47-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly held someone in front of an approaching railcar in B.C.'s Fraser Valley this week.
Authorities said the victim was forced to stand on the tracks near the intersection of Gladys and Essendene avenues in Abbotsford late Tuesday night, as a self-propelled maintenance car barrelled toward him.
"The operator immediately applied his emergency brakes, bringing the railcar to a stop just short of the victim," the Abbotsford Police Department said in a news release.
"The victim, although shaken, was not injured."
Authorities said officers found a "non-compliant" suspect fleeing the area and arrested him.
One count of attempted murder has since been approved against Abbotsford resident Edward Mackenzie.
Both the suspect and victim are unhoused, and only knew each other in passing, according to police. Authorities have not released any information on what preceded the startling incident on Tuesday.
Sgt. Paul Walker described the railcar involved as a "track maintenance car, about the size of a single boxcar," and said the operator likely prevented a tragedy by stopping it in time.
"It would have killed the guy," Walker told CTV News.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.