A quiet stretch of railroad in Kings Mountain turned deadly early Sunday when a Norfolk Southern freight train struck and killed a 28-year-old woman in Cleveland County. The collision happened around 5 a.m. yesterday about a half-mile south of the West Gold Street crossing, and emergency crews pronounced her dead at the scene. Authorities identified the victim as McKenzie Coleman, 28, and said her next of kin had been notified.
In a news release, the Kings Mountain Police Department said officers, the Kings Mountain Fire Department and Cleveland County EMS were dispatched at 4:56 a.m. to the report of a pedestrian hit by a freight train. Norfolk Southern Police joined the response and began assisting with the investigation, according to Shelby Independent. Officials said the tracks were eventually reopened and that more details would be shared as they become available.
Engineer Says Pedestrian Did Not Heed Warnings
The train’s engineer told investigators the woman was on the tracks and did not respond to warning signals. Despite multiple attempts to slow and stop the train, the crew could not avoid the impact, as reported by WBTV. WBTV also reported that officials had notified Coleman’s family following the crash.
Norfolk Southern Assisting And Tracks Reopened
Norfolk Southern Police helped Kings Mountain investigators process the scene and document the area around the tracks. City officials said crews later reopened the rail line after on-scene work was completed, in keeping with the local release cited by Shelby Independent. Police said the case remains under active investigation and did not release additional details as of Monday.
Context And Safety Reminders
The Kings Mountain death is one of several fatal rail-pedestrian incidents reported in the region this spring. In late April, a man was killed after being struck by a train in Pinehurst, a case that similarly underscored the risks of being on or near active tracks, according to local coverage by Moore County News.
Rail-safety advocates warn that even when people think they can see or hear a train coming in time, they are often wrong. Groups such as Operation Lifesaver urge the public to treat all tracks as private property, obey crossing signals, never walk along rail lines and remember that trains cannot stop quickly.
Authorities say more information will be released as the Kings Mountain Police Department and Norfolk Southern continue their investigation, according to reporting by WSOC. Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has information that could help the case is asked to contact local law enforcement so investigators can better understand what happened on the tracks that morning.
