Doctor: Death of Man Struck by Train 'Doesn't Hurt Any Less'

A pair of doctors, away on vacation for the first time without their kids and celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary, rushed to the aid of a man struck by a train in Beverly on Monday afternoon.

The man eventually died, but the doctors – one of them fighting back tears - said they did everything they could to help the man.

Dr. Arthur Pancioli, professor and chairman of the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center’s emergency department, said he and his wife, Dr. Rita Girard, worked together with EMTs and paramedics to treat the man that was struck by a train.

“The team formed quickly and things went well,” he said, lauding the work of the emergency responders he worked with.

The man was hit by an inbound train at about 12:30 p.m. on the tracks across from Briscoe Middle School along Colon Street, just up from Gloucester Crossing. Nobody on the train was injured.

Authorities had not yet identified the man, in his 50s, on Monday evening. He was taken by ambulance to Beverly Hospital and was later pronounced dead.

The train, which was carrying about 150 passengers, came to an abrupt stop and a conductor was standing close to the couple at the time.

“Emergency, emergency, emergency,” the couple said they heard over the conductor’s radio.

“My wife and I – being doctors – went up to see if we could help,” he said.

The got off the train and went up to help the injured man, who police initially described as having a “severe head injury.” As an emergency room doctor, Pancioli said he has treated several patients who have been struck by a train.

In an attached video, Pancioli can be seen in the ambulance wearing a red short-sleeve shirt. Girard is wearing a blue shirt and white pants.

The couple was on vacation in Boston and had just spent the past few days on Cape Ann. Pancioli, an Italian Catholic, said he headed there to see St. Peter’s Fiesta, staying at Bass Rocks Inn and enjoying several great meals, he said. The couple was away from their four kids for the first time ever. They chose the 12 p.m. inbound MBTA commuter train from Rockport to catch their evening flight back to Cincinnati.

Even though they got back to Boston at 3:30 p.m., rather than 1 p.m. after another train came to pick them up, they still made their flight. Pancioli and Girard spoke to Beverly Patch just minutes before getting on the plane to head home.

Girard, a family doctor, said she often forms wonderful relationships with her patients. She also formed a relationship with the stranger she helped on the tracks, she said.

“This guy was only our patient for 5-10 minutes but it doesn’t hurt any less,” she said, through tears, after learning that the man had died.