By: Richard L. Smith
Early Thursday morning, train traffic was halted in both directions on tracks in Newark's North Ward due to an incident involving a 19-year-old Newark man.
A 7th precinct Sergeant, while on patrol near 7th Street and Roseville Avenue at around 2:20 a.m., witnessed a small explosion and observed the young man fall to the ground on the tracks.
Emergency responders, along with Newark's Emergency Services Unit, were swiftly dispatched to the scene. They located the Newark resident around 2:39 a.m. near North 9th and 7th Avenue, suffering from serious burns.
Initial reports suggest the victim, who was walking from the East Orange side of the tracks, attempted to climb a wall that was energized, inadvertently coming into contact with a live wire, resulting in near electrocution.
He was immediately transported to University Hospital for treatment.
The reason for the man's presence on the tracks remains unclear, and authorities are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding this perilous incident.