Crime & Safety

Salisbury Woman Killed by Train: Coroner

A 49-year-old Salisbury Township woman died after being struck by a Norfolk-Southern train Friday afternoon in Emmaus, the Lehigh County Coroner's office said.

A 49-year-old Salisbury Township woman died Friday after being struck by a Norfolk-Southern train in Emmaus.

The Lehigh County Coroner's office said the woman died of blunt force trauma and that the manner of death was a suicide.

She was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:16 p.m. by Deputy Coroner Richard Pender.

Dave Pidgeon of Norfolk Southern had said Friday the person was struck at 2:05 p.m. by a westbound freight train at Harrison Street in Emmaus. The train had three locomotives, 56 loaded freight cars and 49 empty cars. Pidgeon did not know how fast the train was moving but said the corridor is rated for 50 mph. 

In February, a 19-year-old Wilson man's death was ruled a suicide after he was hit by a train near Island Park Road along the Lehigh River in Glendon.

Train deaths make up about 3 percent of all suicides in the United States, according to the Federal Railroad Administration, which released a report last year saying trespasser suicide is a growing problem. The administration is studying whether fences and other barriers can be a more effective deterrent.

A national suicide prevention hotline is available at 1-800-273-8255.

About 15 people in the Philadelphia area committed suicide by train from 2006 to 2011, according to a Philly.com report that noted how traumatic the tragedy can be for train operators driving a 400-ton locomotive.

In 2012, the railroad administration, for the first time, attempted to collect data on the number of suicide train deaths. Rail lines are now required to include the medical examiners’ manner-of-death findings in information submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration.

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