EXETER -- A person who was walking along railroad tracks and apparently unaware of an approaching Amtrak Downeaster train was struck and killed Wednesday afternoon, police said.

Exeter police, fire and rescue personnel responded to a wooded area of the train tracks between Front Street and Powder Mill Road at around 1:20 p.m. after train authorities reported that a pedestrian had been hit.

According to police, a preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was walking on the tracks and wasn't aware that a southbound train was approaching. The victim, who has not been identified, was struck from behind, police said.

Police are working with investigators from Amtrak police and CSX police, who are in charge of the property and tracks rented by Amtrak and other trains. Police said the case remains under investigation.

As authorities investigated the scene, yellow police tape was placed around the tracks at the rail crossing on Front Street to keep the public away. While the train was barely visible on the tracks in the distance, some curious passersby stopped to see what was happening.

The train remained stopped in the area of the accident throughout the afternoon, but left and continued traveling southbound shortly after 4 p.m. as authorities began to clear the scene.

The fatality comes nearly two years after another person was killed by a passing train in the area of the Front Street railroad crossing. That incident involved a man who police believe died in an apparent suicide.