An investigation is underway after a Norfolk Southern train engineer died this week after being hit by a train in Decatur, Alabama.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the incident happened just after 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The victim has been identified as Chris Wilson, 55, of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He was a 30-year employee of Norfolk Southern, according to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
The cause of the incident is under investigation; the NTSB has sent investigators to the scene.
“This tragic loss underscores the safety risks present in railroading, even in the controlled environment of a railyard,” Eddie Hall, BLET’s national president, said in a statement. “This week marks one year since Norfolk Southern’s derailment and chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio. I hope as we reflect on that disaster and on the need to continually improve rail safety that we also pause to remember Brother Wilson and the family he leaves behind.”
