On Saturday night, July 11, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department conveyed some sad news in a press release.
That morning, at 3:44 a.m., the department got a report that a train had struck and killed an unidentified woman in Jamestown. The tragedy occurred near the intersection of Bonner Road and Main Street.
According to Sheriff’s Department officials, the victim died at the scene. They also reported that, at this time, there’s no reason to suspect “foul play.” As of Saturday night, officers were working to establish the identity of the woman. They’re asking for help if anyone has any information about her.
The department put out the following description: “The victim is a black female and she is believed to be between 20 and 40 years old. She is around 5’2″ in height and weighs around 140 pounds. Her hair was styled in lock[s] and was approximately 3″ in length. She had pierced ears but no tattoos or other identifying marks.”
Sherriff’s Department officials say that anyone who has information regarding the identity of the woman should call 336-641-3355.
Train collisions are a more common cause of death than many people realize. In recent years, an average of about 500 pedestrians each year in the United States have died in accidents of this type. Of course, in some instances, those are suicides.
According to Wikipedia, pedestrian railroad accidents are the leading cause of death on railways, and, in the last quarter of a century, more than 7,200 pedestrians have been killed by trains in this country alone. Wikipedia also notes that another 6,400 people on foot in the United States have been injured by trains but survived.
Many others have been injured or killed at train crossings while in their vehicles.
Unfortunately, I found my wife and her sister. So it wasn’t them. Oh, well.