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CSX train conductor prevents deadly accident

No injuries occurred; man hospitalized for treatment for hypothermia

Emergency responders attend to a man who almost got hit by a CSX train. (Visual content: Marietta, Georgia Police Department)

A CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) train conductor has garnered praise from police in Georgia from stopping his train before it hit a homeless man on the tracks.

The near-accident occurred on Friday morning, according to police in Marietta. The conductor was driving a mile-long freight train at normal speeds when he noticed someone on the tracks. The conductor was able to stop the train before hitting the person — a homeless man suffering from hypothermia.

“It turned out the homeless man had fallen and was unable to get up,” Marietta police said in a Saturday post on the department’s Facebook page. “He became hypothermic and if struck by the swift moving train would surely have been killed instantly.”

(Video: Marietta Police Department, Georgia)


After the train stopped, area emergency responders walked a quarter-mile to retrieve the man, who was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. 

In response to the incident, CSX said, “CSX commends the swift actions our crew displayed in Marietta, GA. Railroad operations can be dangerous. Fortunately, no one was injured. This is an important reminder to stay away from railroad tracks.”

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Joanna Marsh

Joanna is a Washington, DC-based writer covering the freight railroad industry. She has worked for Argus Media as a contributing reporter for Argus Rail Business and as a market reporter for Argus Coal Daily.