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SOURCES: Two Local Rail Workers Dead In DC Incident.

June 28th, 2017 by WCBC Radio

UPDATED 7:30 PM:  WCBC has tried to confirm the names of the deceased, which we've gotten from sources that, in the past, have been reliable.

To date, CSX has opted not to provide the identities.  (See quote below.).  The National Transportation Safety Board has said they never provide names of victims.  The Washington DC Medical Examiner tells WCBC that while it will provide cause of death, it does not issue identities.  And we've reached out to the DC Police Department, which has yet to respond.

The names we have been given by our sources, but have not been able to confirm officially, are Jake LaFave and Steve Deal.  Again, these have not been confirmed by the normal channels, and those channels seem to be a bit unsure as to which agency would issue the report on the incident.

UPDATED 3:50 PM:

CSX has no further comment other than provided earlier:

"CSX is deeply saddened to report that at approximately 11:30 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday, June 27, two CSX employees tragically lost their lives when they were struck by an Amtrak train on the railroad tracks near the intersection of 9th Street and New York Avenue, N.E., in Washington, DC. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of our employees.

"CSX management representatives responded to the scene to assist with the investigation of this tragic incident. At this time the names of the involved employees are being withheld out of respect for the privacy of their families."

UPDATED 3:30 PM:  

WCBC has heard from a number of sources that the two men killed in the train incident near Union Station in DC may be from the Cumberland area.

We have reached out to CSX for more information. Eric Weiss, of the National Transportation Safety Board, says his agency does not release names and the Washington DC Medical Examiner's Office, which is doing identification and medical investigation, has been contacted. We are awaiting a call back from that office as well.

That's what we know, and what we don't know, at this point. That we've heard from as many contacts as we have means we are pursuing confirmation or refutation.

Obviously, our hearts and prayers go out to the families and coworkers, no matter where they are from.

ORIGINAL REPORT:

Two CSX workers died after a seven-car Amtrak train struck them just north of D.C.’s Union Station just before midnight Tuesday. There are unconfirmed reports that the two men killed may have been from Cumberland, but no official release has been made. Just before 9 a.m. Amtrak said its trains resumed service. Trains had not operated during the Wednesday morning rush-hours between D.C. and Philadelphia because the tracks were closed as police investigated.

Amtrak said trains would run at restricted speeds and delays should be expected.

Commuters who use MARC faced disruptions and delays on the Penn and Camden lines Wednesday morning.

In addition to the two people who died, D.C. Fire and EMS, D.C. Fire also tells WTOP a railroad employee was taken to the hospital.

The accident occurred near New York Avenue and 9th Street in Northeast.

It is not clear what the workers were doing or why they were struck by the train.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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