HASUDA, Saitama -- A cyclist died when he was hit by a train after he crashed into a railway crossing gate and was thrown onto the tracks, police said.

Just before 9 p.m. on Thursday, Mitsuo Nakamura, 70, crashed into a gate at a crossing on the JR Utsunomiya Line in Hasuda while riding a bicycle, local police said. He was thrown onto the tracks and was hit by a rapid service train.

He died of massive head injuries. His wife, 68-year-old Etsuko, was seriously injured after unsuccessfully trying to rescue him.

Investigators said Nakamura failed to properly apply the brakes, noting that he was steering with one hand while drinking canned coffee with the other hand.

Three trains on the line were cancelled and 10 others were delayed by up to 46 minutes, inconveniencing about 16,000 passengers, the railway operator said.

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