Investigators have learned that the 45-year-old Westport woman whose body was found in the Saugatuck River on Friday was struck by a Metro-North train while attempting to cross the railroad bridge, police said.
Annette L. White, originally of Maine, had recently moved to Westport and was not familiar with the area, according to police. Investigators believe White was crossing the bridge on the opposite side of the pedestrian walkway when she was hit by a train traveling westbound across the river.
The train made an emergency stop on the bridge and stayed at the scene for about 20 minutes, police said. Westport and MTA police searched the area and found White’s cellphone and one of her earrings on a pier below the tracks, authorities said.
Investigators are still working to determine the exact cause of the crash, but police said White’s death appears to have been an accident.
Her body was discovered by a duck hunter just after 9 a.m. on the Dec. 26.
