A 38-year-old Seward County man died on Tuesday after his Ford F-150 was struck by a train while crossing tracks near Friend, according to the Saline County Sheriff's Office.
Aaron Rathje was driving north on County Road 800 at around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday when he began to cross the railroad tracks near U.S. 6, the sheriff's office said in a news release.
As Rathje entered the railroad crossing, his 2017 Ford was struck by an eastbound BNSF train, the sheriff's office said. Rathje was pronounced dead at the scene.
The sheriff's office is investigating the crash.
Most dangerous cities in Nebraska
4. North Platte
With a population of 23,705 and 89 violent crimes, the city had a rate of 3.75 per 1,000.
Photo: Union Pacific train engines line up outside a service building in North Platte.
3. Lincoln
The Star City had a population of 291,128 with 1,115 violent crimes, a rate of 3.83 per 1,000.
Photo: Police in Lincoln investigate a shooting near the intersection of 14th and E streets in August 2019.
2. Grand Island
With a population of 51,821 and 236 violent crimes, the largest of the Tri Cities had a 2019 rate of 4.55 per 1,000 people.
Photo: Grand Island police and State Patrol personnel investigate after a body was found in a Grand Island yard in August 2020.
1. Omaha
In 2019, the state's largest city at 470,481 people had 2,833 violent crimes for a rate of 6.13 per 1,000.
Photo: Omaha police and University Police guard the entrance to the Nebraska Medicine Emergency room after an Omaha police officer was shot at Westroads Mall in March 2021.
