Updated: Lincoln man killed after vehicle collides with train in Moreland
Published 4:03 pm Saturday, March 4, 2017
- Ben Kleppinger First responders work the scene of a fatal wreck involving a vehicle and train in Moreland Saturday.
By Abigail Whitehouse and Ben Kleppinger
MORELAND – Just about every week, Allen Braden could be found crossing the railroad tracks in front of his friend’s home, but last Saturday his weekly visit took a tragic turn when his vehicle collided with an oncoming train.
The 47-year-old was pronounced dead at 1 p.m. Saturday, Lincoln County Coroner Farris Marcum said.
Braden was crossing the railroad tracks along Community Center Drive as he approached Ky. 2141 when a southbound Norfolk Southern train struck his vehicle, Marcum said.
Asked if officials know why the collision occurred, Marcum said “we’re really not for sure because he wasn’t distracted by his phone because his telephone was still in its case on his belt.”
Marcum clarified Monday that the phone was still in it’s protective case but had been ejected from the vehicle and was found a few feet away from where the vehicle came to rest.
“It’s kind of a puzzling event that he kind of eased in front of the train,” said Marcum, who noted that the Community Center Drive crossing has flashing lights but no arm-bars to prevent crossing when a train is approaching.
“I wonder…it costs money I know, but that crossing right there is kind of a ‘dog leg.’” Marcum said Monday. “It may need a set of arms on it. It would be interesting to see how many accidents have occurred at that intersection.”
Marcum took Braden’s body to Frankfort Saturday afternoon; an autopsy was planned for Sunday.
Braden’s car was struck on the driver’s side and no one else was in the vehicle at the time.
“I’m pretty sure his death is going to be (due to) multiple blunt force trauma, but … we want to document his injuries via an autopsy,” Marcum said.
Deputy Coroner Tony Floro said Braden visited with an elderly friend, Sidney Coulter, just about every week.
“Sidney is an older gentleman that he went to church with at New Hope Baptist Church. He came straight out of this driveway,” Floro said pointing to a gravel driveway located on Community Center Drive in front of the railroad crossing.
Braden was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision and did not appear to have suffered any medical issues such as a heart attack or stroke, he added.
“There was a question…we didn’t come up with anything medical…but there was a question about whether he had a heart attack or stroke or something,” Floro said.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County firefighters, Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency, Kentucky State Police, Stanford Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Unit and the Lincoln County Coroner’s Office were called to the scene Saturday.
Stanford Fire Chief Scott Maples said the hazmat unit cleaned up gasoline that was leaking from the gas tank in the vehicle that collided with the train.
Kentucky State Police and investigators with Norfolk Southern are conducting an investigation into the incident, Marcum said.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by W.L. Pruitt Funeral Home in Moreland.
