BENSON – A 27 year old man died Friday afternoon when his Honda Accord was struck by a northbound CSX freight train at the Raleigh Road rail crossing, just off US Highway 301.
Christopher Ray Valdez of Benson was killed instantly in accident just before 5:00pm.
According to authorities, the nearly mile long empty coal train was traveling below the posted speed limit when the car crashed through the down crossing guard, into the path of the train.
Valdez was ejected when the car was split in half. Debris scattered over a wide area.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the State Highway Patrol.
Raleigh Road was closed and all railroad traffic halted for about two hours as a result of the accident.
