Deer Startles Man, Causes VRE Delays

WASHINGTON - Commuters who use Virginia Railway Express' Fredericksburg line were delayed Wednesday morning after VRE briefly halted service.

Trains are moving, although VRE says commuters should expect delays.

According to Randy Earl, spokesman for Prince William County Fire, here's what happened: About 5:50 a.m. a deer startled a homeless man who was walking along the tracks in the Woodbridge area. As the deer came out of the underbrush, an Amtrak train was passing by. Out of reflex, Earl says the man moved toward the train and injured his hand and arm. His injuries were not life-threatening.

The incident shut down VRE train service for part of the 6 a.m. hour, causing a ripple effect that made commuters late.

Amtrak says the train involved was train No. 98 from Miami to New York. It had 212 passengers on board.

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