SIU student killed by train

An SIU student is dead after he was struck by a train early Sunday in Carbondale.

Police say Aaron Banez, 20, of Chicago died after he was struck by a northbound freight train near the East Pleasant Hill Road overpass. Police responded to the scene at about 4:28 a.m.

Police say Banez, a senior studying cinema and photography, was walking in the area of the train tracks when he was struck by the train. He was not near a pedestrian crossing.

Carbondale Police were assisted by the SIU Department of Public Safety and the Canadian National Railroad in the investigation, which is ongoing.