(Auburn, Indiana – September 4, 2015)
An as-yet unidentified 54-year-old white male employee of a firm doing contract work for the CSX railroad company on its double-tracked main line through Auburn, IN was struck and killed last Friday morning at about 11:25 A.M. by a moving CSX train. The train was hidden from his view by a standing CSX freight train, among a daily average of 60 CSX trains that roll through the corridor at a maximum allowable speed of 60 mph.
The tragedy did not happen at a railroad crossing, and occurred when the victim, who was working in the company of two CSX employees, walked around the standing train and directly into the path of the train which was hidden from view by the train he had just crossed behind. Police said the man, who was killed instantly, was apparently unaware that another train was approaching.
Authorities would only say the victim was from Newfoundland in far eastern Canada and was working as part of an electronic rail testing crew. No other details were available to answer news media inquiries, although reading from an April 3, 2015 CSX news statement regarding an employee death at Henrico, VA, “CSX conveys our deepest condolences to the worker’s family and friends during this difficult time. The safety and well-being of our employees is a top priority for CSX, and CSX is working with authorities to fully investigate this incident.” A similar reaction from CSX’s Jacksonville, FL headquarters may be forthcoming after the long Labor Day holiday.
The accident was in the vicinity of Auburn Drive and Grandstaff Drive on the south end of Auburn, and the resultant investigation caused the closure of the Auburn Drive/CSX grade crossing for over four hours. Auburn Police and Paramedics both responded to the emergency situation, and the DeKalb County Coroner’s Office’s investigation was still pending.
