Tourist struck, killed by train on Market Frankford Line

CENTER CITY -- A man visiting Philadelphia was struck and killed by a SEPTA train in Center City on Tuesday, halting the Market-Frankford Line.

The incident was reported around 5:05 p.m. between the 11th and 13th Street Stations.

Family members identify the man as Woodrow Jackson.

His sister Andrea Jackson says he was in town from Texas visiting relatives.

"I just couldn't believe that it was happening, like I'm dreaming, this is not really happening," Jackson said.

"He had just brought his grandkids back from Disney World; he and his wife, they were visiting and to my understanding they went to the Liberty Bell today and did some shopping, and took the train down to 13th and Market, and I'm not quite sure what happened," cousin Charlotte Jackson said.

Witnesses say he was waiting for the train when he fell onto the tracks.

"We were waiting for the train to pull in. When the train was coming inside the station, it was slowing down, and I turned around. In a blink of an eye, I heard a lady scream. I said, 'Oh, somebody fell.' She was hollering, saying, 'It was my husband,'" witness Wayne Bullard of West Philadelphia said.

SEPTA temporarily suspended service on the Market-Frankford Line.

"We had to exit off the train, and they stopped it from 15th Street and all the way up," Glenn Gallagher of Mayfair said.

Confused passengers had to rely on shuttles at the peak of Tuesday rush hour.

"I walked to 13th Street thinking it would be open, and they just indicated to go back to 15th Street," Jeremiah Binni of Northeast Philadelphia said.

Still, the Jacksons struggle to make sense of what happened.

"This is not a man who would jump in front of the train, whose been in the air force for 22 years plus," Charlotte Jackson said.

SEPTA is reviewing surveillance to determine exactly how Woodrow Jackson ended up on the tracks.