Geiger, 59, was crossing the tracks when the wheelchair became stuck, Puyallup police said. He was struck by an oncoming BNSF freight train and killed. Police identified him Thursday; friends and local residents knew him as Ritchie.

Shawn Manley, CEO of the Puyallup Food Bank, said two people who work with the organization through Harvest House — Joe and Diane Drapek — witnessed the emergency. Joe ran from his car and tried to lift Geiger out of the wheelchair, then tugged at his seat belt moments before the train hit, Manley said. A second bystander also joined the rescue attempt. Neither helper was injured.

Police Capt. Jeremy Hedrick said investigators are examining the events leading up to the collision. It remains unclear what caused the wheelchair to get stuck.

A woman who witnessed the crossing’s condition, and asked not to be identified, pointed to a raised concrete lip between the two sets of tracks. She said the bump can force people using wheelchairs or pushing strollers to stop and lift their front wheels to get over it. The lip measured about an inch above the tracks, according to a measurement taken at the crossing.

Federal accessibility guidelines call for surfaces at railroad crossings to be level with the rails, but it is not clear whether that standard applies to the area between two sets of tracks at this crossing. An attorney specializing in disability law said responsibility for crossings used by both high-speed freight and passenger trains can involve railroads and multiple government agencies.

The investigation is in its early stages. Its findings could help clarify how the crossing is maintained and whether its design creates barriers or risks for people using mobility devices.