Man Dies After Catching Fire Atop Metro-North Train: MTA

A 21-year-old man died after catching fire on top of a New York City-bound Metro-North train in Connecticut, authorities said.

Officials with the MTA said the Ohio man, Brian McClellen, was found on fire atop the train shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday in Greenwich. Crew members were trying to figure out why the train lost power when they found him.

McClellen likely caught fire while being electrocuted after a pantograph -- a mechanical arm on top of the train that collects power from the overhead wires -- came down on him as the train entered the station, the MTA police said.

MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan says crew members doused McClellen with a fire extinguisher. He was taken to Westchester Medical Center, where he later died.

Greenwich police said McClellen jumped onto the train while it was in motion. It had been carrying about 20 passengers; they got off and took another train to New York. 

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