Person hit and killed by train near State Fairgrounds in Raleigh
A person was hit and killed by a passenger train near the State Fairgrounds in West Raleigh late Tuesday night.
The Piedmont was near the end of its evening run from Charlotte to Raleigh when it hit someone on the tracks at about 10:47 p.m., according to Amtrak spokeswoman Kimberly Woods.
There were no reported injuries to the 24 passengers and crew members on board the train, Woods said. The train was held up until 1:30 a.m.
Woods said Amtrak is working with Raleigh police to investigate. A Raleigh police report classifies the incident as a suicide.
The collision took place near Blue Ridge and Beryl roads. The crossing at Blue Ridge is closed as contractors for the N.C. Department of Transportation work to build an underpass to carry the road under the railroad tracks and Hillsborough Street.
Because of the threat of thunderstorms, there were no workers at the site Tuesday night, according to NCDOT spokesman Aaron Moody.
Amtrak refers to people who get hit on its tracks as “trespassers,” and cites Federal Railroad Administration data that shows trespassing on railroad rights-of-way is the leading cause of rail-related deaths in the country.
“These incidents can affect everyone involved — those who are injured or die and their families, our train crews, and our passengers,” Woods wrote in an email. “They also serve as critical reminders about the importance of obeying the law and of exercising extreme caution around railroad tracks and crossings.”
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for people in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with someone, dial 988.
This story was originally published May 17, 2023 at 10:51 AM.
