ILLIOPOLIS - A man was killed early Monday when his sport utility vehicle collided with a train at a railroad crossing just outside Illiopolis.

John T. Wright, 58, described by police as a local farmer, died at 6:20 a.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene by Sangamon County Coroner Susan Boone.

"An autopsy found he died from blunt force injury to the body," Boone said. "An inquest will be held later."

Police reports said Wright was driving south on Cantrell Road as he approached the crossing close to the intersection with Old U.S. 36 and had apparently entered the crossing at the same moment the train arrived, the two striking each other at right angles.

The 61-car Norfolk Southern Corp. freight train, heading east toward Decatur and being pulled by two engines, smashed into the front passenger corner of Wright's Ford Explorer at 47 mph, flipping the vehicle over and ejecting Wright.

"His vehicle overturned two, maybe three times from what we can tell," said Capt. Jack Campbell of the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office. "There were skid marks on the north side of the tracks, so it looks like Mr. Wright attempted to stop. It does not appear to us he was wearing a seat belt."

Campbell said he did not want to speculate on whether Wright had been trying to beat the train to the crossing or had become distracted and didn't see the locomotive until it was too late.

"We have statements from the engineer and what we call the conductor, who were both in the engine compartment at the time," Campbell said. "They said a dark-colored SUV was approaching their crossing, and it appeared it was traveling at a high enough rate of speed that they didn't know if was going to stop or not, and then they struck it. With a big train, there is not a whole lot you can do."

Campbell said conversations at the scene with emergency personnel recalled other accidents at the crossing, and he understood it was due to receive crossing arms in 2010.

Rudy Husband, a spokesman for Norfolk Southern, said decisions to upgrade crossings are made by the Illinois Commerce Commission, although the railroad will design the work and carry it out.

He said the process often begins when local communities, concerned about safety, ask whichever government authority owns the road intersecting with the railroad for a safety upgrade.

Tony Reid can be reached at treid @herald-review.com or 421-7977.