America's North Shore Journal

Why do you suppose this awful tragedy happened?

State Journal-Register

Floyd F. Dodd, 35, of the 800 block of South Second Street suffered critical head injuries Sunday night and was taken to Memorial Medical Center. He was pronounced dead there at 2:55 p.m. Monday.

Dodd, the fourth local resident to be struck by a train this month, also was hit by a train in 1999.

Sunday’s accident happened about 9:45 p.m. on the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks in the 1700 block of North Milton Avenue.

The train’s engineer and conductor told deputies the train was traveling east at 40 mph when they saw what appeared to be trash or debris lying on the tracks about 50 yards ahead. When they were about 25 yards away, they realized it was a person. They immediately braked, but it was too late to avoid striking Dodd.

The railroad workers said it appeared that Dodd had his head on the rail, using it as a pillow. He was on the south side of the tracks just west of where Milton Street is blocked off at the former railroad crossing. A can of beer, a pack of cigarettes and a bicycle were found nearby.

It was not clear whether Dodd had made any effort to get out of the way before the train struck him. He had an elevated blood-alcohol level, authorities said. [snip]

In November 1999, Dodd fell asleep on railroad tracks just north of 19th Street and North Grand Avenue and was hit by a Norfolk Southern train. Police said he was sleeping with his legs across the tracks and that the train pushed him to the side when it hit him. He suffered a compound fracture to one leg and a cut to the other.

He had an elevated blood-alcohol level