"The suspect departed the car, ran into the airport building and into the MARTA station," says MARTA spokeswoman Jocelyn Baker. "He then got onto the MARTA tracks, where he came into contact with the third rail, which is electrically powered, and was killed by the charge."

Train service at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport remained shut late Thursday night while officials tried to figure out whether the unidentified man fell or jumped onto the rail tracks. Transit authorities brought in shuttles to ferry airport passengers to and from the College Park station.

The man was being pursued by Union City police for stealing a car from an apartment complex in the city about 8:20 p.m., said police Sgt. George Louth.

An ambulance driver had called police to say that he was almost run off the road by a man in a Ford Focus, speeding down Flat Shoals Road with its headlights off, Louth said.

The man led police on a short chase on northbound I-85 before taking the airport exit, where he collided head-on with another vehicle near the north terminal, officials said.

The Union City officer stayed at the scene of the wreck to ensure that the occupant of the second car was not injured, Louth said.

The suspect ran into the airport building and then onto the MARTA platform before his electrocution, said the transit agency's spokeswoman, Jocelyn Baker.

The Union City police department will now look into whether the officer violated any policy during the pursuit. "But from what we know at this point, it appears that he did not," Louth said.

It was the second time this week that a man was killed while trying to run from police. Erving Cobb, 18, of Atlanta was killed Tuesday when the stolen Ford Focus he was riding in collided with a sports utility vehicle in Vine City. The three men in the car had taken off after spotting an Atlanta police van.