Death under investigation; homicide ruled out

Auglaize County authorities are now saying the death of a 25-year-old man struck by a train early Saturday morning was not a homicide.

An autopsy performed Monday on Nathan Hall of Cridersville helped police rule out homicide as the cause of death, Cridersville Police Chief John Drake said this morning.

However, mystery still surrounds the accident. Police still do not know what took place, Drake said. Hall apparently was under the influence of alcohol when the train hit him near a well-traveled walking path 75 yards from Main Street in Cridersville.

Police received a call about the accident at 2:45 a.m. Saturday.

Drake said his department is investigating every possibility at this time and won't reveal any suspicions they may have. Currently, he has no information leading him to believe someone else was at the scene of the accident with Hall, he said.

When asked what led him to initially declare the accident a homicide, he said it was "textbook" action.

"Until we get information to lead us into another direction we have to assume the worst case scenario," he said.

The incident remains under investigation, Drake added. Further information from the autopsy isn't expected to be released for eight to 10 weeks.

Law enforcement likely won't declare Hall's death a traffic fatality because it did not take place at an intersecting road.