Amtrak Train Hits and Kills Two People in North Carolina

Two residents of the Britthaven nursing home were killed after being hit by an Amtrak train on its way from Charlotte to Raleigh, North Carolina (NC).

The Britthaven runs parallel to the train tracks and the Amtrak train, called the Piedmont, was carrying 100 passengers (none of whom were injured), according to the Charlotte Observer.

 The two men were Randy Davis and Billy Richardson. My deepest sympathies go out to their friends and family. We don't know exactly why they were on the tracks, but that information will hopefully come to light during the investigation.

This certainly isn't the first train accident at a crossing or otherwise causing death or serious injuries involving Amtrak. Just a couple weeks ago, an Amtrak train struck a car trying to cross tracks near the South Carolina (SC) and Georgia (GA) line. The four people in the car were killed.

Another tragic accident occurred in September when a 24-year-old man was hit and killed by an Amtrak train in Clark County, Washington (WA).  

In 2008, Amtrak had 92 train accidents and close to 1,500 train incidences where nearly 120 people were killed. Given the multiple accidents which have taken place in just the past few months, it appears Amtrak is on pace to match, or even surpass, those numbers.