Fourth person hit and killed by a train in the Triangle in less than a week
Four people have been hit and killed by trains in the Triangle this week, the latest Thursday morning near Jones Sausage Road in Garner.
Garner police say a man was on the tracks when he was hit by an Amtrak train at about 10:33 a.m. Police have not released any additional information, including the man’s name.
Less than 24 hours earlier, a man was hit by an Amtrak train near Duke University’s East Campus in Durham. Police there say the man was walking on the tracks at about 5 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of West Pettigrew Street and Campus Drive. Police identified him as Stedman McLaughlin.
Those deaths follow two others in Johnston County earlier in the week.
On Tuesday, at about 5:15 a.m., a CSX train hit someone behind the Johnston Square shopping center, off U.S. 301. Meanwhile, a person was hit by a CSX train near South Ninth and East Johnson streets near downtown Smithfield at 12:38 p.m. Sunday, according to ABC11.
Police have not said how each person came to be on the tracks or whether their deaths were accidental or deliberate. Garner police urged people to stay off the tracks.
“We want to remind our community about the vital importance of railroad safety,” Capt. David Casteline said in a written statement. “Please stay off railroad tracks. It’s not only illegal but also very dangerous.”
This story was originally published October 9, 2025 at 3:36 PM.
