Over the years, as a passenger, I have been on at least two trains that have run into living things.

One was a Metra commuter train that hit a civilian walking on the tracks. While ugly in its own way, especially for the train crew, the body was off the tracks, on the street below a viaduct, and therefore of little interest to the commuters. Hour or less delay!

The other one was an animal caught up by a passing train, Lake Shore Limited, in this case. There is nothing better in this world than to be in a roomette on a train that hit an animal, the smell of rotting flesh just can not be described.