Police: Woman killed in train vs. pedestrian accident

Forest Acres, S.C. (WOLO)– Forest Acres Police say they are investigating a fatal accident involving a commercial train and a pedestrian.

Police say it happened just after 5:22am along Two Notch Rd.

Investigators say the engineer called 911 after the collision and told police he saw a woman walking on the tracks and activated the train’s emergency braking system and sounded the horn.

The engineer also told police he saw the woman trying to get off of the tracks before she was hit.

Police say the 61 year old woman died at the scene.

“This is a tragic reminder that railroad tracks are not a safe place to walk, and they are not a place for pedestrians,” said FAPD Chief Don Robinson.
“The engineer saw her, sounded the horn and immediately activated the emergency brakes. Unfortunately, because of the speed and size of a commercial train, there was not enough time or distance to avoid the collision.”
“It took approximately a half mile for this train to come to a complete stop after the emergency brakes were initiated,” Robinson said.
“Think about how far a half mile is. If you are on those tracks, you do not have the time you may think you have to get out of the way.”

The Richland County Coroner’s Office, CSX and Amtrak Police were notified.
The investigation is ongoing, and the railroad tracks have since been cleared and reopened.