State Police: Train And Vehicle Collide, 1 Person Killed
NEW BEAVER, Pa. (AP/KDKA) -- State police say one person was killed when a train and a vehicle collided on the tracks in Lawrence County.
The accident occurred around 1 a.m. Monday at Larchwood Road near Maple Lane in New Beaver Borough.
State police say the Chevy Trailblazer was stopped on the tracks when a Norfolk Southern train crashed into it. The driver apparently was alone in the vehicle.
The train pushed the vehicle about 200 yards down the tracks.
The Lawrence County Coroner's Office has identified the victim as 58-year-old Dwight Spann of New Galilee, Pennsylvania. It wasn't known how many people were on the train, but no further injuries were reported.
Spann was ejected from the vehicle.
"Anytime anybody loses a life, it affects a lot of people," said neighbor Wendy Schultz.
Schultz lives near the crash site. She didn't hear the collision, but woke up to flashing lights.
"I got up, looked outside and the whole road was lined with fire trucks and all kinds of emergency vehicles. There were vehicles in our driveway," said Schultz.
Crews from Norfolk Southern were checking out the tracks once the sun came up. Schultz has lived in the area for 16 years. She said this isn't the first time a crash like this has happened.
"There have been wrecks about three times since we've lived here. One fatal and two that were not fatal," she said.
She said there's no excuse for crashes now.
"When we first moved here 16 years ago, there was no arms to go down and people would just not stop to look and listen. Now there's no reason. The arms go down. The lights go on," said Schultz.
A pickup truck was also towed from the scene. It wasn't damaged.
The State Police New Castle Barracks are handling the investigation.
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