It was already shocking news to hear State Supreme Court Judge John L. Michalski was hit by a freight train over a week ago.

As more details about the accident emerge though, mysteries remain.

In an update on the story, The Buffalo News reports there was no car involved in the accident; Depew Village Police referred to Michalski as a "pedestrian" in their official comments on the accident.

"On February 28, 2021, an individual pedestrian, later identified as John L. Michalski, was involved in an incident with a C.S.X. train in the Village of Depew,” police said.

 

“This incident has been the subject of numerous media inquiries to both the Village of Depew Police Department and the Office of the Village Attorney.

 

-The Buffalo News

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Village police confirmed no automobile was involved in the accident with the CSX train.

Michalski's social connections link him to a current investigation into organized crime in Buffalo, deepening the mystery surrounding the circumstances and timing of the train accident.

The Buffalo News reports:

"Federal authorities are looking into the friendship between State Supreme Court Justice John L. Michalski and Peter G. Gerace Jr., the Cheektowaga strip club owner indicted last week as part of an ongoing investigation into organized crime."

Michalski, 59, is reportedly in stable condition at Erie County Medical Center with a "severe leg injury."

Police investigators are working to find out how and why the judge was in the path of the oncoming train.

“His car was not found at the scene, and detectives are trying to figure out how he got out there,” said a law enforcement official familiar with the case. “It’s almost a miracle this man survived.”

 

-The Buffalo News

 

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