![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.gordon-elias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/mcduffie-coal-terminal.jpg\" "\\"mcduffie-coal-terminal\\"")
Aerial view of McDuffie Coal Terminal on Mobile River at Alabama State Docks<\/p><\/div>\n
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According to Port Authority CEO,\u00a0 Jimmy Lyons, the victim was a ground person on a train crew at the time of the accident. The victim had been in contact with a terminal railroad engineer in a locomotive that was moving train cars. When the engineer lost contact with the victim, the train was stopped. <\/p>\n
The victim was later identified as 27 year old Joshua Roper. Alabama Port Authority officials said that Joshua Roper was a switchman for the Terminal Railway Division at the state docks.<\/p>\n
“He was a fellow employee, but they don’t really want us to say because I don’t know anything you know. I don’t know the facts. I wasn’t here so, I was off work,” a co-worker said. <\/p>\n
An investigation is underway as they try to piece together what happened early that evening. Raliroad officials have been unable to locate any witnesses who may have seen the accident.<\/p>\n
“We are deeply saddened that this happened,” Lyons said.<\/p>\n
Investigators from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) were en route, said Judy Adams, a Port Authority spokeswoman.<\/p>\n
“That process was launched immediately,” Adams said.<\/p>\n
Railroad operations at McDuffie Coal Terminal were shut down.<\/p>\n
“Nothing\u2019s been moved until we can get investigators on site,” Lyons said.<\/p>\n
“We haven\u2019t found anyone who actually saw the accident,” he said.<\/p>\n
Lyons said there were no indications that the train violated any procedures.<\/p>\n
A McDuffie Coal Terminal employee who was in the vicinity didn\u2019t see what happened, according to Lyons.<\/p>\n
“There was a lot of confusion initially. Details are still very sketchy. It\u2019s going to take some time to piece together what happened,” he said.<\/p>\n
Port Authority police, Mobile police and fire crews were also dispatched to the scene, officials said.<\/p>\n
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