Reported by NBC Channel 29 in Virginia, a man died shortly after 10 a.m. in the morning on Monday, November 10, when an oncoming train slammed into the passenger side of the vehicle he was driving. Apparently, the man did not see the oncoming train for some reason, perhaps related to his age.
According to Virginia State Police, the Stuarts Draft man was 84-year-old Gordon William Hunter, who lived on Hunter Farm Lane, a farm he owned that the train tracks run along the edge of. He was leaving his property on Monday morning a few minutes before ten when he drove into the path of the oncoming freight train, not giving the train any time to stop or slow down.
Virginia State Police, Stuarts Draft Fire and Rescue, and a local medical examiner investigated the scene on Monday afternoon. Early conclusions show a simple lack of attention on the part of the driver – he was probably preoccupied with another matter and did not hear or see the train approaching.
Family members concurred that this was probably the case – Anita Ramsey, Hordon Hunter’s daughter, talked to authorities. “He always stopped for the tracks, so I am kind of surprised. Him and the train men had a little toot that they did when they saw each other.”
The investigators also confirmed that the train did not break any laws and was traveling at the appropriate speeds at the time of the accident – the car drove in front of the train leaving very little time for the conductor to stop in time to avoid the fatal train crash.
Gordon William Hunter was an active member of the community. He was the father of three children and a number of grandchildren. He was also a regular member of the Sherlynd Baptist Church.