Police Investigate Train Related Fatality

     Cramerton Police are investigating a train-pedestrian fatality that occurred early Friday morning.  Norfolk-Southern Railway notified the department around 1 A.M. on Friday that one of their trains had struck a pedestrian near Mayflower Avenue and Tenth Street.  Officers arrived shortly after receiving the call and found the body of Jonnie Vance Hill.  Hill, age 39, lived with his mother at 168 Eighth Avenue in Cramerton.

  Information gathered at the scene indicated that Hill was laying across the railroad tracks when the train approached.  Train personnel reported seeing Hill lying across the tracks, sounded the horn and applied the brakes on the train but were unable to stop before striking Hill.  Hill was pronounced dead on the scene.  Train traffic was interrupted for several hours while officers investigated the incident.

     Chief Greg Ratchford stated that officers were dispatched to Hill’s residence earlier in the night after receiving a call that Hill had assaulted his sister.  Hill had fled the residence prior to police arrival, Ratchford said.  Police were looking for Hill in the area when they were notified of the train incident.  Ratchford said that the incident occurred along an area of the tracks that was not a rail-grade crossing.  “Pedestrians are trespassing on railroad property when on the tracks at any location other than a recognized rail-grade crossing,” Ratchford said.  Cramerton has one rail-grade crossing located on Eagle Road near Lakewood Road.  No charges will likely be filed in incident according to Ratchford.