The two people who were struck were laying on the tracks in Biddeford as Amtrak's Downeaster approached late Sunday morning.

Amtrak said in a statement that two individuals "trespassing on the tracks" east of Saco were struck by Amtrak Downeaster #691, which was traveling from Boston to Brunswick around 11 a.m. None of the 81 passengers and crew on board were injured.

Biddeford Police Chief Roger Beaupre on Monday told several Portland media outlets including NewsCenter Maine that a preliminary investigation determined two people were laying on the track as the train approached Main Street. Video shows the pair sat up and hugged each other moments before they were struck.

The identities of the individuals who were struck has not been disclosed by Beaupre, pending further investigation.

"According to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), trespassing along railroad rights-of-way is the leading cause of rail-related deaths in America, and railroad crossing incidents are the second leading cause of rail-related deaths in America," Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams told Seacoast Current. "These incidents can affect everyone involved—those who are injured or die and their families, our train crews, and our passengers."

If you feel you or someone you know may be in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, 1-800-273-TALK, or the Portsmouth Regional Hospital crisis-suicide hotline at 603-433-5370.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH

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