UVA grad hit by train near Elliewood

A 21-year-old UVA graduate was struck by a train around 4am Wednesday, July 11, between Chancellor and 15th streets near the Corner. He was intoxicated and was sleeping on the tracks. Police found a substantial quantity of weed on him, as well.
    The crash “basically skinned his entire leg like a banana peel,” says City spokesman Ric Barrick. While seriously damaged, the limb was not fully amputated. The man was taken to UVA hospital in serious condition—he will likely require extensive surgery. When he gets through with that ordeal, he can expect to face charges on trespassing and intent to distribute marijuana.
    The train’s engineer spotted the man and put the brakes on about 30′ to 40′ before contact, but the train was going too fast to stop. The brakes emitted a loud noise that disturbed the neighborhood and woke the man, who was able to scramble partly out of the way.
    This is the first incident of this kind in the area, Barrick says. But students routinely cross the tracks between residential areas around 14th Street and the Corner bar district.
    Police have been cracking down on pedestrians illegally crossing tracks, and have given out more than 100 tickets in the past year. “Here’s a good example of why [ticketing] is not a waste of police resources,” says Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo. “There’s a reason why it’s illegal to cross the tracks.”
    Barrick says the most common crossing spot is Downtown, behind the Charlottesville Pavilion after concerts.