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Amtrak trains kill 2 people on same Charlotte-to-Raleigh tracks -- 30 minutes apart

Amtrak trains hit and killed two people on railroad tracks along the same Charlotte-to-Raleigh route Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

The deaths occurred 30 minutes apart, one in Concord and the other in Raleigh, according to Amtrak officials and police.

Amtrak train 26 hit and killed a person in Concord at about 3:30 p.m., as the passenger train traveled its regular route from Charlotte to Raleigh, an Amtrak spokeswoman told The Charlotte Observer.

Fifty passengers were aboard the Piedmont when the person was hit, according to the spokeswoman. No passengers or crew were reported hurt, she said.

Concord police are handling the investigation, the Amtrak spokeswoman said.

An Amtrak train strikes and kills one person in Concord, N.C.
An Amtrak train strikes and kills one person in Concord, N.C. WBTV

Police tweeted that the person was hit at Corban Avenue near Cabarrus Avenue.

In a second tweet, just after 5:30 p.m., the Concord Police Department reported that it had completed its investigation. “All units are clearing the area at this time,” police tweeted.



Police have yet to release what their investigation revealed or the name of the person killed.

A train in route to Charlotte from Raleigh stops in Concord after striking and killing one person
A train in route to Charlotte from Raleigh stops in Concord after striking and killing one person WBTV

At about 3 p.m., Amtrak train 77 hit and killed a person at Mountford Avenue and South Boylan Avenue in Raleigh, WRAL reported, citing an Amtrak spokesperson.

Thirty-five passengers were aboard the train. None of the passengers or crew members were hurt, WRAL reported.

This story was originally published February 14, 2019 at 6:10 PM.

Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
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