Man killed by Amtrak train was fire investigator

A man killed last night by a high speed Amtrak train in Delaware was identified today as a decorated Wilmington fire investigator who was on duty when he was fatally injured.

It is not clear why Fire Department Inspector Brian P. Waynant Sr. was on the tracks when he was hit.

The State Police said they were awaiting a report from the state Medical Examiner's Office to ascertain the manner of death, that is whether it was accident, suicide or undetermined.

Foul play is not suspected, police said.

A statement issued by the city said only that Waynant, 45, was on duty when he was hit about 9:45 p.m. by a southbound Acela Express train 3 miles south of the Wilmington station.

The married father of two had been a Wilmington police officer for 16 years before joining the Fire Department in 2004, the city said.

"I would ask everyone to remember his family during this very difficult time as we recognize and remember his valuable service to the citizens of Wilmington," Mayor James M. Baker said in statement.

The city said Waynant had a 100 percent conviction rate in his arson cases and took the lead in writing guidelines covering background investigations for new Departmental hires.

Amtrak said the train that hit Waynant was Acela Express train 2173 en route to Washington.

Five other trains were affected by the accident, with delays ranging from 3 1/2 to five hours, said Amtrak spokeswoman Karina Romero.

Last week, two teenage girls were killed by a southbound Amtrak Acela train in Norwood, Delaware County, in what police have called a double suicide.