One man is dead and another is being transported to a south shore hospital this morning after falling asleep on a train track north of Pearl River.

At approximately 8:20 a.m. this morning, the Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from the conductor of a northbound Amtrak train reporting that the train struck two men who were lying across the tracks.

Deputies immediately responded to the scene of the accident near the eight-mile marker on I-59, north of Pearl River.  One of the men, born in 1989, was found dead at the scene.  The other man, born in 1983, was airlifted to the hospital.  His condition is unknown.

There were signs at the scene that the two had been in the area hunting and camping; although, there was no indication why the men fell asleep on the tracks.

The identity of the deceased man is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.