Workman Electrocuted Inspecting Train Bridge

A man inspecting a steel railway bridge near Harpursville was killed Monday after coming into contact with electrical wires. 39-year-old Thomas Tarchak of Simpson, Pennsylvania was conducting elevated train bridge measurements on a bridge that passes over Route 235 in the Town of Colesville. Tarchak was an employee of Canadian Pacific Railway, and was working in a bucket truck under the elevated tracks. His vehicle reportedly came into contact with a NYSEG power line, and he was electrocuted. State Police believe that he was killed instantly, but it won’t be confirmed until an autopsy is complete. Tarchak was working with three of his colleagues at the time of the incident, which took place just after 11 o’clock Monday morning, and traffic on Route 235 by the intersections of Route 7 and Davey Road was shut down for more than an hour.