Clayton man killed after he drove around crossing arms, police say
A man was killed Monday morning when police say he drove around railroad crossing arms and was hit by a Norfolk Southern freight train near downtown Clayton.
Dwayne Alton Bryant of Clayton was hit at the Central Street crossing just east of downtown at about 10:50 a.m., according to Police Chief Greg Tart.
Bryant, 62, turned his Toyota Corolla left from Main Street onto Central and “attempted to pass around the crossing arms which were down in both directions with lights flashing at the time,” Tart wrote in a statement.
The eastbound train hit the left side of the car, which rolled over and came to rest about 300 feet from the crossing, Tart said. The train stopped before reaching the N.C. 42 crossing.
Clayton police traffic cameras recorded the collision, which remains under investigation, Tart said.
Bryant is the second person killed in a collision with a train in Clayton this month. On Aug. 5, UNC Wilmington student EllaRyan Marie Miller was hit by an Amtrak train near O’Neil Street as she crossed the tracks on foot after leaving work at about 5 p.m.
This story was originally published August 25, 2025 at 4:07 PM.
