One Dead Another Injured While Walking on Trestle

Photo: News and Daily Advance, Autumn Parry

According to news reports,  21-year-old Massachusetts man died after being struck by an oncoming train in Lymchburg, Virginia.  Jonathan Gregoire of Wilbraham, Massachusetts was pronounced dead on the trestle, which spans the James River.  

Victoria Bridges, 21, of Newport News, VA also was on the trestle with Gregoire and suffered non-life threatening injuries. Bridges was transported by helicopter to Lynchburg General Hospital, according to police.

This is the latest of several trestle accidents in recent years. A man was struck and killed by a train on the trestle in October 2012 and a Liberty University student was also killed and another seriously injured in November 2011 in the same location.

Robin Chapman, spokesman for Norfolk Southern, previously told the News & Advance sometimes people are on the tracks for either a shortcut home or a good overlook point. Freight trains do not keep regular schedules, they run day and night, anytime, he said.

Once again, we ask: if a separated, protected trail were there, would this needless tragedy have happened?