Hedley man dies in train collision

A Hedley man lost his life Wednesday afternoon, January 25, when the Donley County maintainer he was driving was struck by a train.

Randy Gene Woodard was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Denise Bertrand, according to information from Department of Public Safety Trooper Daniel Hawthorne.

Woodard, age 51, was southbound on County Road 23 when a westbound Burlington Northern-Santa Fe train struck the left rear of the maintainer at about 2:29 p.m. Hawthorne said the impact caused Woodard to be ejected from the maintainer.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said it appeared Woodard was grading CR 23 north of the railway and had picked up his blade to cross the tracks.

“You come up there at an angle, and it appears that he just made a fatal error,” Blackburn said.

The maintainer was dragged between one-quarter and one-half mile before the train was able to stop, the sheriff said.

Woodard had been employed as a Precinct 3 road hand since November of last year, the county said.

Funeral services for are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors. A date for those services had not be set at the time of this posting.