A cyclist was killed after being hit by a high-speed train in eastern France on Sunday.

Authorities believe that the 48-year-old man from Franche-Comté was struck between a double-barrier crossing in Petit Croix, a village close to the Swiss border. His body was carried 40 km to the next stop at Mulhouse Station where passengers waiting on the platform discovered the gruesome scene.

The front of the engine was seriously damaged and according to reports, authorities found the mangled body and the bicycle's seat planted against it. They found remnants of the bicycle, as well as at least one shoe and glasses at the crossing in Petit Croix.

It is not known if the incident was the result of an accident or a suicide. A televised broadcast by France 3 in French said that three other people had been killed at the same crossing; all were suicides.

The man has yet to be identified by the press.