Another person hit, killed by train

Published 6:29 am Friday, July 24, 2015

10:54 a.m.: Rowan County Sheriff’s Office has details in the deadly train accident this morning:

At about 2:20am today, 07-24-15, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a call regarding a pedestrian struck by a train.  Fire Department personnel directed Deputies to the RR crossing at Peeler Rd, where the incident began.  An interview with the engineer stated that as the train began crossing Peeler Rd., he witnessed a pedestrian standing on the east side of the tracks, and that as the train got close to the victim, the victim stepped up onto the tracks, in front of the train.  The Engineer stated he immediately began the emergency braking procedure, and was finally able to get stopped near Crossridge Ave. along US Highway 29.

Investigation by Deputies and other emergency personnel located black work boots, clothing, and some forms of ID near the Peeler Rd crossing.  A white shirt located did have NC State DOC patches on it, and a DOC Employee ID Card was part of the items recovered.  A State of NC Highway Patrolman located a car, parked close to the Peeler Rd. crossing, that was registered to the same person whose DOC ID was located at the Peeler Rd crossing.  The victim in this incident has been identified as David Allen Parker, a 41 year old white male, of 320 Pine Valley Dr., Salisbury, NC who worked for the NC Department of Corrections at 2750 S. Main St., Salisbury, NC.

The wife of the deceased was notified by Lt. Neal Goodman of the RCSO and by Captain Foster of the NC Department of Corrections.  Information gathered indicated that David Parker had been dealing with some medical and financial problems of late.  The NC Medical Examiners was contacted and the Rowan County Rescue Squad responded to pick up the body.

A pedestrian was struck and killed by an Amtrak train early this morning on Peeler Road at South Main Street, the fourth train death this summer.

Train 19 travels between New Orleans and New York daily. Amtrak officials told WBTV that the train was headed to New Orleans with 252 passengers on board. No one on the train, crew or passengers, was injured.

The accident occurred around 2 a.m. when the train hit the pedestrian. No names have been released.

The train’s engineer contacted authorities after the accident. The train arrived in Charlotte about three hours later than expected, around 5:30 this morning.

Trains are running on the track again this morning.

The investigation is continuing.