Two people dead after being struck by train in Ohio

OHIO — Two people from Tuscarawas County were struck and killed by a train Tuesday afternoon while walking on a railroad trestle east of Zoar, officials said.

The incident occurred around 4:31 p.m. when a Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad employee called 911 to report the train had hit two individuals on the trestle. The trestle is located high above the Towpath Trail, the Tuscarawas River, and Route 212.

Fire crews from Bolivar, Mineral City, and Strasburg responded alongside sheriff’s deputies. The victims were found deceased on the bank of the Tuscarawas River beneath the trestle, the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Preliminary investigations indicate the victims—a 20-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man—were walking on the trestle when the train approached. Witnesses said the train’s engineer activated emergency brakes but was unable to stop in time.

The victims’ names have not been released. The Tuscarawas County Coroner’s Office was called to the scene for official identification.

The incident remains under investigation, with the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad cooperating fully with authorities.