Police: Austerlitz man killed by train took his own life

STOCKPORT — An Austerlitz man  died after he was struck by an Amtrak passenger train near Station Road on Tuesday, police said.

Investigators believe David C. Soka, 51, took his own life, according to a statement released late Tuesday by New York State Police.

State police withheld the man’s name until late Tuesday pending the notification of family members.

Amtrak Adirondack No. 69 was traveling north from New York City to Montreal when it struck a man on the tracks in Stockport at around 10:30 a.m., according to a statement Tuesday from Amtrak, which is also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

The train was stopped on the tracks at the north end of Hudson for about three hours as police made their investigation. Other trains were delayed for two hours at the Albany train station.

Stockport firefighters closed Station Road to traffic near Southers Road in the hamlet of Columbiaville for several hours Tuesday. The dead-end road leads to the Stockport railroad trestle.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and firefighters from Stockport and Stottville assisted at the scene.

More than a dozen firefighters assisted in a rescue and recovery effort. Most emergency crews had left the scene at about 1:15 p.m.

For those in need of immediate mental health services, Columbia County Mental Health Center operates a 24-hour crisis line to assist individuals and families: 518-828-9446. The county’s walk-in crisis service center is at 325 Columbia St., Hudson, and is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a network of 161 crisis centers that provides a 24/7, toll-free hotline to anyone experiencing suicidal crisis or emotional distress, lists the following warning signs of suicide on its website:

• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain

• Talking about being a burden to others

• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs

• Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves

• Looking for a way to kill themselves, like searching online or buying a gun

• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live

• Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly

• Sleeping too little or too much

• Withdrawing or isolating themselves

• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge

• Extreme mood swings