VSO: Sleeping Man Struck & Killed By Amtrak Train

DeLeon Springs, FL – Volusia County deputies say a man sleeping on the side of the railroad tracks was killed by a passing train Sunday evening. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office was made aware of the incident just before 6:30 on Sunday (May 8) after railroad dispatchers with CSX reported the crash. Deputies say Matthew Bryan Owens was pronounced deceased on the scene by first responders. Investigators learned that Owens was walking northbound along the tracks with his girlfriend when he stopped to take a break while she continued to walk towards a meeting place. Video footage from the train—an Amtrak passenger train carrying around 500 passengers—showed Owens lying against the tracks and not responding to the train’s horn, because he was reportedly asleep. The train was able to continue its trip around 11:00 p.m. Investigators believe there are no suspicious circumstances involved in Owens’ death.