Gaston man killed in train-truck collision Wednesday afternoon

A Gaston man was killed Wednesday afternoon when the dump truck he was driving was hit by a CSX train at the railroad crossing on Independence Avenue off Bush River Road.

Homer Bennett, 61, was pronounced dead at the scene, Lexington County coroner Margaret Fisher said in a news release.

First reports from the scene around 3:30 pm Wednesday indicated someone in the truck was thrown from the vehicle when the collision occurred, highway patrol spokesman David Jones said.

The accident occurred near the entrance to a large trucking facility at the end of Independence Avenue.

The accident remains under investigation by the Lexington County coroner’s office and county sheriff’s department.

An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death, Fisher said.

This story was originally published June 17, 2015 at 4:15 PM.