90-year-old killed after being hit by train

TIFFIN – A 90-year-old man was killed Thursday afternoon after his minivan was hit by a train on Township Road 15 south of State Route 18 in Clinton Township, Seneca County.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the incident occurred when Richard L. Rochester, of Tiffin, was driving a tan 2000 Honda Odyssey minivan southbound on Township Road 15, where railroad tracks intersect the roadway. The Patrol said an eastbound CSX train was actively crossing, and Rochester drove around the railroad crossing gate and struck the side of a train car.

Rochester was wearing his safety belt and sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash, the Patrol stated. He was trapped inside the vehicle and was extricated by mechanical means.

The crash remains under investigation.