DALTON, Ga. — The name of the man hit by a train while riding a bicycle in Dalton Saturday night has been released.

The Dalton Police Department said Mark Pierce, 53, was airlifted to a Chattanooga hospital after the train hit him, sending him flying in the air.

The man was hit at the railroad crossing at Thornton Avenue and Tyler Street. He was airlifted to Erlanger.

Investigators determined the bicyclist disregarded the railroad barrier and rode around it as the train was approaching the intersection southbound.

The railroad barrier was functioning with both lights and also audio signals operating, according to the police department. The train was also blowing its horn. The train hit the bicyclist who was thrown approximately 10 to 15 feet away from the train tracks and landed in the gravel. His bike landed nearby.