Slidell family sues railroad, city over father'��s death

By Matthew Penix
St. Tammany News
Published on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 8:43 AM CDT

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The daughters of a 53-year-old deaf man who was hit and killed last year by a train in Slidell have sued the railroad company, its conductor and the city of Slidell.

Danny Brock died on the track near the U.S. Highway 11 overpass on Sept. 11, 2007. He was walking along the track when the train approached from behind and hit him.

Brock never heard its horn blow.

His daughters, Lakeitha Davis and Shelita Smith, claim in the suit that the city of Slidell, parish government and Norfolk Southern Railway Co. failed to properly warn pedestrians about oncoming trains. The suit also names conductor Tim Foster for failing to immediately use the emergency brakes.

The suit argues defendants failed “to post warning signs and fences to limit pedestrian’s use of railroad tracks.”

At the time of the death, toxicology results showed Brock had ingested cocaine.

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Comments

2 comment(s)

Steve S wrote on Oct 31, 2008 8:00 AM:

" The family should be ASHAMED of themselves for even THINKING about suing anyone, HOW could this be anyone's fault but the guy on the tracks? Get real. "

Jon wrote on Oct 24, 2008 11:10 AM:

" It's an unfortunate accident, my sympathy to the family. However, railroad tracks have NEVER been a safe place to trespass, especially if you're deaf and high on cocaine.

Let's hope the court throws this one out, and people start taking responsibility for themselves. "

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