Updated: Man Struck, Killed by Train in Downtown Cartersville

Updated Friday, 11:30 a.m.

The man hit and killed by the train has been identified as John Martin Ceresoli Jr., 48, of Cartersville.

Updated Friday, 10 a.m.

The man killed by a train in downtown Cartersville about 9:50 last night had been eating outside at the City Cellar & Loft on Museum Drive near West Main Street, Camp said in an email update. 

Witnesses said he kept getting up, walking over to the train tracks in front of the restaurant, looking both ways, then coming back to his table to eat. 

"We just met him tonight. He bummed a cigarette and said his name was
[redacted], or something like that," one witness said, according to the CPD report. "He drank a glass of wine, but seemed to be acting as if he was on medication or needed to be."

The last time the victim walked to the tracks, he continued to the middle of the tracks and stood there. 

"He walked up on the track and stood facing the train. He didn't move. I thought he was trying to be a daredevil, but he didn't move," another witness told the police. "It seemed premeditated. He was pacing around between the train tracks and the bar until he heard the train coming."

As the train approached the man, he turned towards the restaurant and took a step towards it, witnesses said. But he did not get off the tracks and was struck by the train. 

"He was walking around and talking, acting kind of crazy. He heard the train coming and said '[expletive] CSX' and got out on the tracks," a witness said. "He was  standing up facing toward the train and then started to step down off the tracks at the last minute. His body disappeared".

The victim, a Caucasian man, 48, was deceased when police arrived. His name has not been released because next of kin have not yet been notified.  

Original Report

A man was struck and killed by a train in downtown Cartersville shortly before 10 p.m. Capt. Mark Camp of the Cartersville Police Department released this statement:

"A short time ago a male subject was hit by a train on the railroad tracks in downtown Cartersville near Museum Drive and West Main Street. From the information I have been given the subject is deceased. Several streets are blocked by the train and it is unknown when the track will be cleared.

"I have no information whatsoever on the deceased individual at this time.  All I know right now is that the individual was standing on the tracks and did not move out of the way of the train."

A Cartersville Patch tipster said the incident is in front of the City Cellar & Loft with "police, fire trucks everywhere."

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