Brother Paul M. Payne of Mount Vernon, Ohio, a member of Local 1397 in Columbus, and a father to five children, lost his life in an accident the morning of Nov. 22 at the CSX yard in Fostoria, Ohio.
Brother Payne, a conductor for eight years, was at work setting out a cut of cars in the yard located in northwest Ohio when he was fatally injured.
His death is under investigation.
Brother Payne was also a sergeant in the Ohio Army National Guard.
“Paul was a dedicated husband, father and son that loved nothing more than spending time with his family,” his family wrote in his obituary.
He is survived by his wife of 19 years, Haley (Davis) Payne; his children, Shawn, Jacob, Marcus, Lily and Sarah; his mother; sister; and paternal grandmother.
The SMART Transportation Division offers its heartfelt condolences to the Payne family, his friends and his SMART-TD brothers and sisters in Local 1397 and elsewhere who are mourning his loss.
His full obituary is available here.
Tag: yard accident
Deborah Ann Beeler, 39, of Claremore, was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple injuries, reports the newspaper. She was a member of UTU Local 1289 since July 2005.
According to the newspaper report, Beeler was riding a 2010 Kubota RTV that was crossing BNSF’s Cherokee Yard tracks around 2:15 a.m., Aug. 4, when it was hit on the passenger side by the flatcar that was moving by gravity off the hump. She reportedly was pinned in the RTV for two hours before Tulsa Fire Department rescue workers could free her.
Beeler is survived by her husband, Michael, and sons Tyler, 11, and Wyatt, 9.
UTU Local 1289 member Randy Battenfield, 27, who reportedly was operating the RTV, was not injured, according to the newspaper. Battenfield became a UTU member July 1, 35 days prior to the accident.
Beeler is the fifth UTU member killed in an on-duty accident in 2011, and the second in a yard accident.