Rebecca Butts, The Cincinnati Enquirer 10:23 p.m. EDT September 21, 2015

One man was shot in College Hill on Wednesday morning, briefly resulting in a lockdown at nearby Pleasant Hill Academy, police and school officials confirmed.(Photo: File)

CINCINNATI — Police determined that two dogs who were found dead near train tracks in Hamilton were killed by a passing train last week.

After investigators asked the public for help in determining if the dogs died as a result of a criminal act and offered a reward for information, a train engineer said his train hit the dogs, according to a release from the Hamilton Police Department.

The engineer said the dogs were playing on the tracks as the train approached. He sounded the whistle but the dogs did not move.

He learned of the investigation over the weekend and "is upset that the dogs were struck but there is nothing he could do," the release states.

Trains can take a half-mile or more to stop, the engineer told police.

Detectives are "confident" that the engineer's account of what happened is accurate based on statements, photographs, and inspections of the remains.

The case regarding cruelty to animals is closed. The Butler County Dog Warden will explore any other potential charges for failure to maintain control of the dogs.

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