W.Va. teen dies in Greene accident
WAYNESBURG – A 19-year-old West Virginia man died Tuesday night when he fell off a railroad overpass, landing on the road below. State police said Phillip R. Watkins of Chloe, W.Va., and another unidentified man climbed the bank onto the overpass, which is above Route 21 west of Sugar Run Road, and were waiting for a train to pass so they could cross the tracks and proceed down the other bank.
The accident happened at 10:15 p.m., police said, noting that both men were in Waynesburg working for Osmose Holdings Inc., a New York-based company that inspects and treats wooden utility poles with a preservative.
The unidentified man who witnessed the accident told police Watkins “lost his footing” and fell onto the eastbound lane of the road while they were waiting for the train to pass, according to a police report filed by trooper Robert H. Cree.
Cree said Watkins was transported to Waynesburg’s Southwest Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 11:40 p.m. by Greene County Deputy Coroner Mary Lewis.
Lewis said Watkins was dead on arrival. She said he fell about 20 to 30 feet.
The results of an autopsy performed at 3 p.m. Wednesday were not available by press time; however, Lewis said she examined the body at the medical center and believed the results would show the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head and chest.
Lewis said toxicology tests are being done but said there was nothing to suggest drugs or alcohol were involved.
Police are calling the death accidental.
Bob Butera, vice president of marketing for Osmose, said the company learned of the accident Wednesday morning and was still trying to gather details Wednesday afternoon.
However, Butera said it was his understanding that Watkins was not working when the accident occurred. He said he did not know if Watkins was staying in a hotel in Waynesburg while working in the area, which is a common practice in the company, or if he commuted from home.
Watkins was a “relatively new employee,” Butera said, adding that he did not know much about the man. He did express sympathy for Watkins’ family on behalf of the company.