In a series of tragic incidents, two pedestrians were struck and killed by the same Amtrak train as it traveled through North Carolina, the first fatality occurring in Burlington and the second near Charlotte. Queen City News reported that the first accident took place around 12:45 a.m. on Friday when Amtrak train 79, operating from New York City to Charlotte, collided with a person on Old Concord Road near Rocky River Road.

The subsequent incident, separated by about 113 miles and 4.5 hours, involved the same train. WBTV identified the victim of the first collision as 47-year-old Daniel Cameron Wagoner who died on the spot after being hit while walking on the tracks in Burlington. Local authorities closed the railway for an investigation that lasted approximately three hours.

Officials have yet to release the identity of the individual who was killed in the Charlotte incident. Amtrak has confirmed that neither the crew members nor any of the 106 passengers aboard the train were injured in the collisions. An investigation into the Charlotte incident is ongoing, in collaboration with local law enforcement, to establish the circumstances surrounding the fatality.

The Carolinian route, which Amtrak's southbound train number 79 follows, includes both Burlington and Charlotte in its itinerary. According to an interview with a passenger by WSOC-TV, the train experienced significant delays. Originally due to arrive in Charlotte at 9:07 p.m. on Thursday, it did not reach its destination until 4:07 a.m. on Friday, marking a delay of seven hours.