Hannah Smith dies in fatal Tuscarawas train accident
Fatal Tuscarawas train accident death of Hannah Smith
The Indian Valley School District Music Boosters shared a tribute to Hannah Smith on their Facebook page, remembering her as a 2023 graduate of Indian Valley High School and a former leader in the marching band. The organization identified her as 20-year-old Hannah Smith from Tuscarawas County.
The Tuscarawas County Coroner’s Office officially identified the two victims from Tuesday’s train incident as Hannah Smith, who was 20, and Jacob Bierwirth, who was 21 years old. Bierwirth attended Tusky Valley Schools, according to the county sheriff.
Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell confirmed the pair was struck and killed by a train on the trestle above the Tuscarawas River, near the intersection of state Route 212 and the Towpath Trail. The accident occurred just after 4:30 p.m. east of Zoar and close to Tusky Valley schools.
Campbell explained the trestle is elevated and has limited width, allowing only one train to cross at a time. He stated the train engineer encountered the two individuals on the structure after rounding a bend and faced an impossible situation stopping the lengthy, heavy train, while the young adults could not vacate the crossing immediately.
“This is a terrible tragedy and accident for these families, something they’ll probably never recover from,” Campbell remarked. “We ask people, just think about the worst and be a little cautious about that and stay off [railroad trestles]. I believe these families would want to send that same message to other kids to please stay off these crossings.”
The coroner’s office and sheriff’s department, along with the Wheeling-Lake Erie Railway Company, are continuing their investigation. The bodies have been transported to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy procedures. Responding fire departments from Bolivar, Mineral City, and Strasburg assisted at the scene.
