Train claims life

Hazardous — The trestle spans 1,800 feet from one side of the river to the other. Photo credit: Alyssa Bockman

Student dead, 4 injured after mishap

An accident involving a train and five Liberty University students on Thursday, Nov. 17, claimed the life of a student and left one in critical condition, while the other three incurred minor injuries.

Little warning — The Amherst side of the tracks, where the students entered the trestle, has nothing but a chain and a small "No trespassing" sign warning people away. Photo provided

Hannah Williams, 18, was with her four friends on the train trestle that towers over the James River stargazing the night of the accident. A train, heading north from Lynchburg, emerged onto the bridge from a tunnel and struck Williams, Vice President for Executive Projects Johnnie Moore Jr. said.

Julianne Ashbaugh, a freshman from Georgia, jumped off the trestle and fell about 90 feet before hitting the river bank below. Ashbaugh is currently recovering in the orthopedic unit of the hospital after some time in intensive care, according to Moore.

“I saw a picture on Facebook of her standing up … with some help,” Moore said. “I understand she’s had a miraculous recovery. She’s still got a long way to go but it’s miraculous. Surviving the fall alone is a miracle.”

The three other students, Patrick Marshall, Javier David Duque and Kaitlyn Hermening, walked away from the accident with minor injuries by fleeing from the tracks.

The far side — Signs posted on a fence by the train trestle of the James River warn individuals of the danger of the tracks and to not trespass. Note: this photo was taken at the far side of the bridge, opposite the students' entrance. Photo credit: Alyssa Bockman

Two of them jumped off the trestle to a nearby piling and the third hung below the tracks as the train sped overtop, Moore said.

The freight train that was involved in the tragedy weighed about 3,000 tons and was traveling around 35 mph. At that speed, after slamming on the emergency brakes, the train still traveled 750 feet past the bridge before coming to a complete stop, The News & Advance said.

The trestle spans 1,800 feet from one side of the river to the other and is about 200 feet above the river at its highest point, The News & Advance said.

“We’ve had other Liberty students die there,” Moore said. “A Randolph College student died there a couple of years ago.”

There are signs at the entrances of the bridge prohibiting pedestrian use, and trespassers can be charged. Many people disregard the signs, however, resulting in tragedy. Ten people, mostly college students, have died on the train trestle in the past 40 years, The News & Advance said.