A man is dead after being hit by a train Thursday afternoon near downtown Macon.
What Happened: Macon-Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones says 34-year-old Richard Allen Disbro was struck just after 1 p.m. near Riverside Drive, between Second and Third streets.
- Disbro was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m.
- Authorities have not said why he was on the tracks.
Between the Lines: Railroad tracks in downtown Macon run through areas with both pedestrian and vehicle traffic. While some crossings have safety features, others do not. Investigators will likely interview the train’s operator and any witnesses.
The Big Picture: Railway safety remains a concern in cities with high train traffic. According to federal data, hundreds of pedestrians are killed by trains each year, often due to inattention, trespassing, or unsafe crossings. Officials urge people to stay clear of tracks and obey warning signals.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
