Charles William Smith Obituary – An Ocala man named Charles William Smith, 60, was tragically killed in an incident involving a CSX train early Thursday. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies identified him as the deceased. The incident took place near the 6300 block of South Pine Avenue (U.S. 441) shortly before 12:30 a.m. Upon receiving the call, deputies promptly arrived at the scene and conducted a search for the victim.
They discovered Smith lying next to the railroad tracks behind the Dollar General store. It is worth noting that this area had previously witnessed a similar incident two years ago, where a 43-year-old Ocala resident named Troy Michael Summerfield lost his life after being struck by a CSX train. The deputies concluded that Summerfield’s death was accidental in their final report.
In the case of Smith, the train officials informed the deputies that the train was traveling northbound when both the conductor and engineer spotted two individuals walking their bicycles alongside the tracks. The train’s horn was sounded to alert them, and although one person was observed on the outer edge of the west side of the track, they did not react or move. Unfortunately, this individual was struck by the train. The train was subsequently halted, and law enforcement was promptly notified.