Pedestrian, dog struck, killed by Amtrak train on Ghost Railroad Bridge near Ridgefield

By Becca Robbins, Columbian staff reporter
Published: August 29, 2023, 4:09pm
Updated: August 31, 2023, 7:05am

A person and a dog were struck and killed by a train Tuesday near the Clark-Cowlitz county line as the person reportedly tried to save the dog, which was on the tracks. ... Cowlitz County sheriff’s deputies responded at 1:12 p.m. to the bridge that crosses the Lewis River, known as the Ghost Railroad Bridge.

Deputies determined a southbound Amtrak train struck a person who was walking south on the bridge. A witness reported the person was trying to save a dog that was on the tracks, when they were struck, a Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office news release states. ... The person and dog were declared dead at the scene. The Cowlitz County coroner will confirm the person’s identity, according to the sheriff’s office.

There are no-trespassing signs on the BNSF Railway property, and the sheriff’s office reminds people of the dangers of unauthorized use of railroad tracks. The agency said there have been numerous pedestrian deaths in that area.

The BNSF Railway police, Woodland police, Ridgefield police, Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue and the Cowlitz County Humane Society assisted.