Mike Wolanin | The Republic First responders were sent to the Louisville & Indiana railroad tracks along Indianapolis Road at Lowell Road for a car-train collision late Monday afternoon.
6:30 a.m. update
COLUMBUS, IN – A woman died Monday evening when her vehicle was struck by a train near Indianapolis Road and Long Road. Louisville & Indiana Railroad Company reported the crash just after 5 p.m. First responders arrived and determined that the driver was deceased. The coroner’s office identified the driver as Iris Marie Castellano, 26, of Columbus. Her family has been notified.
The initial investigation indicates the train was southbound on the tracks that run along the east side of Indianapolis Road, and Castellano’s Ford Explorer was westbound on Long Road.
The crash is being investigated by Columbus Police Department with assistance from
Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office and Indiana State Police. It is the second train fatality in two days in Bartholomew County. On Sunday, 29-year-old Dylan Lonaker was struck by a
northbound train while walking on tracks north of Deaver Road along State Road 11.
ORIGINAL STORY
Bartholomew County first responders were called out to the second fatal accident involving a train within two days at about 5 p.m. Monday.
County Coroner Clayton Nolting confirmed that the car-train collision at Indianapolis Road and Lowell Road was a fatal accident. Deputy Coroner Jay Frederick said the driver of the vehicle was killed in the accident and officials were making notifications to family Monday night as the investigation continued.
The crossing where the incident was reported at 5:09 p.m. does not have flashing lights or a gate to indicate when a train is approaching, but the lack of lights and gates is noted on a yellow highway sign on the Indianapolis Road side of the tracks. Vehicles approaching the tracks on the other side of the tracks, which is westbound, where the vehicle was struck by the train, have a stop sign before crossing the tracks, investigators said.
The train was traveling southbound on the Louisville & Indiana tracks, police said.
Accident reconstructionists from Columbus Police Department were working at the scene Monday night, assisted by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department and Indiana State Police.
On Sunday afternoon, the first responders were sent to train tracks at Dawson Street and State Road 11 south of Columbus after Dylan Richard Lonaker, 29, Columbus, was hit by a northbound train while walking northbound on the tracks police said.
Sheriff Matt Myers said investigators are waiting for video from the train before releasing more information about Sunday’s accident.
