Norfolk Southern conductor trainee killed in Alabama railway accident

The victim was struck by a piece of metal from a passing train car

A Norfolk Southern employee training to become a conductor was killed on the job this week in a railway accident in Bessemer, Alabama.

The victim has been identified as Walter James Griffin III, 43, from Hueytown, Alabama.

A Norfolk Southern train

A Norfolk Southern conductor trainee was killed this week in an accident in Bessemer, Ala. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar / AP Newsroom)

Bessemer Police told AL.com the victim was with a conductor inside the cab of a Norfolk Southern train when a metal beam protruding from a car pulled by a passing train crashed through the window and struck him. 

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Officers were called to respond shortly after midnight on Tuesday, and Griffin was pronounced dead at around 12:30 a.m.

"Norfolk Southern is grieving the loss of a member of our team this week," the company told FOX Business in an emailed statement. "Our hearts go out to his loved ones during this extremely difficult time."

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The National Transportation Safety Board said it has a team of investigators working with the Federal Railroad Administration and Norfolk Southern and expects to have a preliminary report on the incident in two to three weeks.