Unconscious train victim's identity a mystery

Police are trying to track down the family of a man who was hit by a train in Levin on Friday night.

The name Alan was muttered by the man hit by a train in Levin on Friday night and may offer a clue to his identity, say police.

The man, a European in his 50s or 60s, has remained unconscious in a critical condition in the intensive care unit of Palmerston North Hospital since the collision, having lost part of an arm and a leg. He is due to undergo more surgery today.

Police have released an image of the man (pictured) in the hope that someone will recognise him.

He had cash on him but no form of identification, and police are urgently trying to track down family or friends in case his condition worsened.

Inquiries, including initial fingerprint tests, had failed to identify him, said Detective Brenda Kelly, of Levin police.

She spent part of yesterday sitting at his bedside assuring him everything possible was being done to find his family.

Ms Kelly said the man mentioned the name Alan in the ambulance on Friday night, but it may not be his own name.

"I don't want people to close off their minds to the fact that Alan must be his name as we don't know the reason he said the name, but it might be a name that trigger's something in someone's mind and helps us to solve this mystery."

She is urging people to ring their fathers and brothers and to check on the welfare of friends and neighbours.

Although the crash happened in Levin, the man could be from anywhere, she said.

He is described as clean-shaven with wavy silvery-grey hair, around 1.7m tall and 90-100kg in weight - stocky but not overweight.

He was wearing light blue denim jeans, a blue zip-up bomber style jacket, a dark green and light cream checked shirt, grey socks, black loafer-style shoes and a black beanie hat with a silver fern symbol on the front.

Police were unclear about what happened at the station and would like to hear from anyone who saw the man on the platform, or how he came to be on the tracks.

They would also like to hear from a cyclist who approached a patrol car outside the Cosmopolitan Club on Oxford St in Levin, near the junction with Rina St, to alert them to the incident.

- NZPA