By Frank Lewis
A Portsmouth man has been hit by a train and killed on the Norfolk Southern train tracks at Gallia and Lincoln streets in Portsmouth. Dead at the scene was Jeffery A. Williams, 45 of 2013 Seventh Street.
According to the Portsmouth Police Department official report, officers responded to the 1500 block of 10th Street around 5:46 p.m. Monday in reference to a man who had been struck by a train. Officers arrived on the scene and observed a man under the train and unresponsive. He was subsequently pronounced deceased at the scene.
Officers and detectives of the Portsmouth Police Department began interviewing witnesses and employees of Norfolk Southern. All who witnessed the incident provided voluntary statements and according to police, many of the witnesses advised they knew the victim was intoxicated at the time.
Witnesses at the scene said that they saw the man appear to be stumbling down the street and then turn to cross the tracks. Witnesses said he fell on the first set of tracks and then got up and stepped across the second set of tracks into the path of an oncoming train and was struck by the train.
Williams was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was transported to the Southern Ohio Medical Center Morgue by Portsmouth Ambulance. Due to the large number of witnesses who viewed the accident, Scioto County Coroner Dr. Wayne Wheeler waived the need to perform an autopsy and turned the body over to the family for burial arrangements.
Detectives Chuck Crapyou and Chris Kelley processed the scene and Lieutenant Jason Hedrick notified the victim’s family. Officers left the SOMC morgue at 7:43 p.m.
Portsmouth Police are continuing to look into the incident and encourage anyone else that might have information about the accident to contact Detective Chris Kelley at the Detective Bureau number of 740-354-1600 or the Police Dispatch Center at 740-353-4101.
Reach Frank Lewis at 740-353-3101, ext. 1928, or on Twitter @franklewis.
