Officials say 63-year-old woman dead in Palmyra after crash involving train and vehicle

Shelly Stallsmith and Matthew Toth, Lebanon Daily News
·2 min read

A 63-year-old woman died Tuesday morning when her Jeep was struck by a train at a railroad crossing, according to borough police.

Officials had not released the name of the woman as of late Tuesday afternoon.

Palmyra Borough Police were dispatched at 8:15 a.m. when a westbound Norfolk Southern train struck the woman's Jeep Liberty at the North Railroad Street crossing near Snavely's Mill.

Wendy D'Agostino, who lives near the tracks, said her neighbors heard a loud bang Tuesday morning as the woman's vehicle was struc.

"I heard sirens and I come outside," she said. "(My neighbor) said that a car was found on the track and got hit."

Officers arrived at the scene and found the SUV on its side in the northwest corner of the crossing, Palmyra Borough Police said in a press release. The woman inside the vehicle was deceased.

"The police department told (the state Department of Transportation's) Traffic Management Center that the gates were operational at the time of the incident," PennDOT spokeswoman Fritzi Schreffler said.

Palmyra Borough Police and local authorities are investigating after a 63-year-old woman died Tuesday morning when her Jeep was struck by a train at a railroad crossing.
Palmyra Borough Police and local authorities are investigating after a 63-year-old woman died Tuesday morning when her Jeep was struck by a train at a railroad crossing.

North Railroad and North Forge streets were closed Tuesday morning by the Palmyra Fire Department as responders secured and cleared the scene. The roads reopened at 10:46 a.m.

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The train was traveling to Chicago when it struck the SUV, according to a statement from Norfolk Southern. The train had three locomotives and 35 cars.

"Any loss of life is a tragedy – our thoughts are with this person’s family during this difficult time. This is an incredibly unfortunate reminder that railroad crossings can be uniquely dangerous places that always beg extra caution and respect of any signals," company officials said in the statement.

Lebanon County Coroner Dr. Jeff Yocum was on the scene. Officials said the crash is still under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Shelly Stallsmith is a trends reporter for the York Daily Record. She can be reached at mstallsmith@ydr.com or followed on Twitter at @ShelStallsmith.

Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on Twitter at @DAMattToth.

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Fatal crash: Coroner called to scene involving train, vehicle