A 35-year-old Texas man died after a dirt-bike crash on Route 41 in Fayette County, and his body was found the next morning near Prince Train Station. WSAZ reported that Paul Kirkland, of Caddo Mills, was the subject of a missing-person report filed in Raleigh County and was found around 8 a.m. Thursday by a CSX employee.
According to WVNS, deputies said Kirkland lost control of the dirt bike Wednesday night while traveling north on Route 41. He was not wearing a helmet, the report said. Kirkland and the bike’s debris were found well off the roadway, which is why the crash was not discovered overnight, WVNS reported. Authorities were still investigating the circumstances as of Friday.
Station location is not evidence of rail involvement
The National Park Service describes Prince Depot as an active Amtrak station. That provides local rail context, but the station’s proximity to where Kirkland was found does not establish that a train or railroad operation was involved in the crash.
A separate Fayette County crash
Fatal motorcycle crashes have also been reported elsewhere in the county, though the incidents differ. WOAY-TV reported that a motorcycle collided with an oncoming vehicle on U.S. Route 60 in the Lookout area on June 29, 2020. That was a separate crash involving a different location and circumstances; the two incidents alone do not establish a trend.
