A Norfolk Southern Railway employee was killed early Wednesday morning after being struck by a train at the company’s Jeff Davis Avenue railway yard.

The victim was identified as 48-year-old James Earl Dixon of Selma, according to police reports and company officials.

Reports indicate Dixon was fatally injured shortly after 5 a.m. and police were notified about 20 minutes later.

Selma Police Lt. David Evans, public information officer, said Dixon was on duty at the time of the incident.

Dallas County Corner Alan Dailey pronounced Dixon dead at the scene and his body was transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy.

“At this point, the Selma Police are considering the matter to be a work place accident,” Evans said.

Susan Terpay, spokesperson for Norfolk Southern, said Dixon was a brakeman who had been with the company for 25 years.

Terpay declined to discuss the details of the death until the completion of an investigation.

The death investigation is being conducted by the Norfolk Southern police officers and the U.S. Department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Evans said if the investigation or autopsy indicates the death was caused by criminal activity, then Selma police would become more involved in the matter.

It is the second work-related death in just over three weeks in the area.

Huey Young – an employee of Securitas Security Services – died

Monday, March 21 after being injured while working at the International Paper Riverdale plant

Young was apparently working at one of the gates to the mill on March 10.

He was injured in an incident involving two non-mill trucks, according to officials.