The Tragedy on the Tracks: Unraveling the Case of an Unfortunate Accident
Dr. Roland Kohr, a seasoned forensic pathologist, brings decades of experience to his gripping podcast Kohroner Chronicles, where he shares the complexities of life, death, and everything in between. In this episode, Dr. Kohr revisits a case from Vigo County, Indiana, a haunting incident involving a tragic death on the railroad tracks near Terre Haute. Despite clear evidence pointing to an accident, the victim’s family remained steadfast in their belief that foul play was involved. This case demonstrates how the non-homicide cases can sometimes be more challenging than solving outright murders.
The Scene: A Journey Across the Wabash River
The victim was a man in his mid-30s from West Terre Haute, a community across the Wabash River known for its economic struggles compared to its eastern neighbor. On the night in question, he embarked on an evening of modest revelry, armed with $40 in his pocket. Witnesses later reported seeing him visit a local bar, consume a few drinks, and purchase marijuana before beginning his walk back home.
As a figure well-known to local law enforcement, the man likely wanted to avoid attracting attention. Instead of crossing back via the U.S. 40 bridge—near both City Hall and the Sheriff’s Department—he opted for a quieter, riskier route: a nearby railroad trestle. This decision would prove fatal.
Welcome to another episode of the Kohroner Chronicles with Dr. Roland Kohr. Hi. This is Dr. Roland Kohr forensic pathologist And today I'm going to be talking about, again, one of the cases, that's not a homicide, but where family was dead set in the belief, it had to be a homicide As I shared one of the Finish episodes.
Oftentimes, the non-homicides are more challenging than the homicide because you've got to work through and prove something is not the case when you've got family, breathing, down your neck, authorities breathing, down your neck, and everybody's sure that there has to be something. In terms of Foul Play going on, but it really may not be the case.
Uh, In this particular case involved, an individual and to understand the circumstances, we've got to give you a little bit of a really brief lesson in geography of Vigo County in Terre Haute. The Wabash River in themed lore of Indiana passes through the Eagle County and forms the western border of the city of Terre Haute across the river.
There is a suburb known as West Terre Haute which is a little bit less economically advantaged than Terre, Haute is that can have some impact on something in terms of the types of Should you see? Well, on the particular case we had in this situation a Gentlemen. Mid 30s or so, uh, decided on one evening that he was going to go into Terre Haute and uh The forty dollars that he had in his pocket and having himself a little bit of entertainment.
Uh, so uh, he left on foot. Uh, walked to Terre Haute across one of the River Bridges that The U.S. Uh, Highway system running through, Western Indiana. They had upon his arrival from what other Witnesses were later able to tell us. I went to a bar, had a couple drinks met up with somebody that he was able to purchase marijuana from And then after so many hours decided it was time to head back to his home in West Terre.
Haute now being on foot, uh, he realized that that took another hour if you decided to walk back along the US, 40 bridge, Thursdays. Pretty high risk that he might be spotted by law enforcement. The thing is U.S, 40 bridge passes, right by the city hall as well as the Vigo County Sheriff's Department at the time.
Bridge itself is probably the order of a quarter mile long, unless you're spraying across it. There's always a chance that any cop car is going to go by and see if pedestrian at after midnight and become a little suspicious? And of course, if they're suspicious they're going to stop.
And this particular individual was well known to the police department for having been in minor trouble before. And if they stopped in, there's a good chance, they would search him. Well, um, We can suppose what happens from this point forward, but a lot of this is speculative, but it all makes sense.
When you put everything together, We first became aware of this individual's death when a Eastbound train approached through West Terre, Haute and crossed. One of the railroad trestles that entered into the city of West or of Terre Haute. Uh, shortly before, uh, he reached the Terre Haute side of the bridge.
The engineer in the train spotted, a figure laying between the rails up ahead, of course, Slams on the brake but the train is not able to stop. This was a freight train carrying. Pulling several grain cars that have the little Hoppers that come down below, Uh, of course, he was not able to stop in time and the train rolled up over the top of this individual.
Now. Had this individual that was our victim been of a small build, you know, under 150 pounds, long narrow skinny. There's a good chance a training could have passed all the rain without causing any ill effects. The problem was of this individual was pretty heavy set and uh, Even laying flat his buttocks extended.
Uh, A good 12 to 14 inches above the level of tracks and the low hanging nature of the discharge shoots on this green car. We're able to hit him when they are passing over and snagged him and basically then tumbled him underneath the train. As you can imagine, trains versus pedestrians, the trains always without fail.
When And by the time the train got stopped. Uh. Multiple cars are driven over the sky and has remained for. Now, underneath the, uh, one of the last cars in this uh, fake train. Place were smashed, of course, they called me. And when I got the call, it was very early in the morning.
Shortly after Dawn. And I was directed to cross the river to the west side. And then there was a small access road along the river. It would take me closer to where we needed to be than trying to approach from the east side. So, I did that. When I got to the base of where this railroad trestle was parked my car?
Got out with my Uh clipboard and my camera and then had to climb up initially, a 45 degree incline to get up to where the trash was and this was probably a good 10 to 15 feet above the riverbed. Because again, Cracks built over rivers or built to withstand flooding so that they don't get washed out.
That mere effort climbing up carrying nothing more than my camera. And my clip boy, I took breath out of me and I was still a young man back then, but afterwards I got up there and walked around with tracks and finally caught up with police officers and saw the remains We had were the now naked remains of an individual with severe trauma.
I mean you could tell they were obvious Fractures of these arms and his legs gashes in his thorax injuries to his head, but not a stitch of clothing off. Now, that could be pretty well explained by the fact that when the train tumbled him, and snagged his clothing. First of all, that probably ripped things off of him.
Uh, in the course of passing over him, potentially his calling on the river. Probably was floating Downstream and continued to float Downstream. Many miles. Well uh we got a hold of uh got everything photographed documented where we could, we were able to see signs of impact on the other side of the train Carriage where he'd been struck, uh, remnants of blood and some hair, a little bit of skin.
Pretty obvious that the train had obviously, struck this guy. Now, as we talk to the engineer of the terrain, he described him as having late being laid or was laying in the position face down between the rails as opposed to across the rails. His head pointing toward the direction of the West where the train was coming from and his arms actually outstretched above it.
Type of posture. Sure that was a little unusual but not totally surprising. Um, Nevertheless, we finally got everything documented, we uh, placed him in a buddy bag. And with the considerable effort with multiple people, because again, we're dealing with somebody well over 200 pounds, we're able to carry him down the length of the railroad stressel to where the awaiting hearse was.
Going to the hospital for his autopsy. Uh, the autopsy was done later that day and As we suspected the slugging in his remains there outside. Extensive bone fractures, every rib and his body was broken, his back was broken, in multiple places, his pelvis numerous skull fractures his organs, Lacerated torn crushed.
Um, Extremity fracture is just, I mean, People do not fare well against trains, if it's, you know, even in a car. But if it's a pedestrian do far far worse, We were able to get enough uh substance out of them for toxicology testing and it turned out that he did have alcohol in his system as might be expected for having had several drinks at night and we even found some traces of marijuana.
Although, the levels of marijuana were not quite as telling Time. We got our talks back week or so it passed and I met with the family to explain our findings. And my impression had done this had been an accident you know. And this was based on the fact that we knew he was probably walking back he had been found and seen by the witness of the train engineer laying between the rails and unfortunately it was in a passed out State and the trainer run over him and had done the damage.
Well, the family was not believing that in Juan Iota, they were sure he had been murdered. Now, if there's one common theme I've seen for 30 plus years, is that families don't want to accept. Certain accidents as being accidents, they want to be able to blame somebody else. That's even worse if we're dealing with suicidades but they are very reluctant to accept the findings.
But instead want to say oh this must be a homicide, somebody had to have killed him because he would have never done anything like this to himself. Well, based upon everything, we've already talked about his position, the fact that he was face down, he's between the rails not across the rails.
Uh, we had alcohol any system. Fact that he likely would have been walking home and trying to avoid law enforcement by avoiding the highway bridge and taking a railroad trestle. Made sense to me. It made sense with police but the family again was oh no, he was murdered. In no amount of arguing, I could do no.
No amount of explanation. I was trying to attend with them or budging them in their mind. They were firmly fixed on the idea that he had been murdered. I pointed out the fact that, you know, This channel one was a pretty good size. You have overcome him. Knock him out and then carried him.
Up the Trestle as steep as a elevation as it was relative to the river. And laid him on the tracks would have taken. Not one person. Not two people with probably four people or more just because of his size. Uh, does that make you think it's more likely? It was an accident.
Oh no. No, no, no. So well, what about the fact that he was laying not across the rails from the training would be expected to, you know, cut him in two pieces or three pieces as opposed to laying between the rails. Does that make sense? That this has got to be an accident?
No, no, no. Because the fact that it was dark at night that he was already tempted because the alcoholy system, and there's a good chance in the dark. He tripped on a railroad tie because, anyways, they've ever tried to walk a railroad dead and the spacing of the, uh, the cross Timmers is not conducive to most people's normal gait and they're going to stumble.
All forward and land on your face, there's a good chance. You're going to get knocked out. Perhaps not wake up before something comes along. No, they were not going to buy that either. This was a homicide, they were sure The way we finally got this resolved, is I explaining them as well.
Based on what I've got right now. I have no other choice but I'm going to have to call this an accident. However, In Indiana, there is no statute of limitation on homicides. If you can get me more information, And come up with the suspect, something else that would explain all that's going on.
Uh, that way, we'll reopen it as a hummus. Uh, one other thing which I'd like to mention, but one of their arguments, why this had to be homicide? Was that we'd not found his marijuana and they knew he had gone to town mayor, why? Marijuana? Not even pointing out so well.
He probably stuff the marijuana into his clothes and the clothes were down in the Wabash. River floating down toward Evansville by now. Well now that still was not valid, you know, somehow they thought he'd somehow was able to conceal the marijuana and would still have it on his body and that somebody would murder.
Another human being for what was going to be 20 bucks worth of marijuana. Again, logic in these cases, really doesn't apply, depending on what side of the family you're on. So, but anyway, once I finally pointed out that, you know, I will reopen the case as soon as you bring me enough evidence to work with that they were fine with.
Oh okay. Yeah sure. Sure thing. We're good with that. Heard of. It's been more than 25 years since Saturn, it kind of like waiting for OJ to find the real killers. It never happened. Well, again, this just illustrates sometimes. The mindset is, it's got to be something other than an accident.
It's got to be something other than suicide. It's got to be a homicide. And uh, in a way, I blame TV for a lot of this because everybody thinks everything's on the side and bottom line is it is not
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