:: Elon student killed by train
An Elon University student was killed when he was hit by a train at 5:47 p.m. yesterday at the Oak Avenue railroad crossing.

Sophomore James Michael Elzar Foreman was hit by a Norfolk Southern Railway train as it was traveling to Linwood, N.C., from Chocowinity, N.C.

Conductor Damon Ashby put on the emergency brake when he saw the student on the tracks, but was unable to avoid striking him, according to a press release from Elon Police Captain Sam Russell.


Emergency personel respond to the scene where James Michael Foreman was struck by a train.
The train was traveling at 40 mph in a 50-mph zone. It was carrying four locomotives and 113 freight cars and weighed about 6,836 tons, according to Robin Chapman, spokesman for Norfolk Southern Railway. All equipment was fully functional prior to the incident and “there were no indicators of any malfunctions,” Chapman said.

The investigation is ongoing, but the police are investigating the incident as a suicide, but officials can never be 100 percent sure in cases where the individual does not leave a note.

“We’ve ruled out homicide, and it’s looking to not quite fit the definition of an accident,” Russell said.

To Russell’s knowledge, there were no reports of drugs or alcohol involved in the incident.

The conductor and the engineer were the only witnesses to the incident. Ashby said that he sounded his horn and tried to stop the train when he saw the student on the tracks.

Foreman looked up and saw the train and turned his back, according to police.

There have been four train-related deaths in Alamance County since 2004, according to the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis.

Foreman was a communications major from Raleigh, N.C. There will be a “Gathering of Friends” at 9 tonight in Moseley 215. As of now, there is no date set for the funeral or memorial service.

Students who would like to talk to a counselor, contact the R.N. Ellington Health and Counseling Center at 278-7280, or the Office of Student Development at 278-7200. Those who would like religious counseling should contact Chaplain Richard McBride at 278-7729.

Reporter: Molly McGowan - 04/12/07