Texas A&M Student Garrett Cole Luce Killed in Fatal Train Accident

A sophomore student of Texas A&M University was struck and killed by a freight train early Sunday morning near the 100 block of Wellborn Rd North.

The incident happened at approximately 3 a.m. when Garrett Cole Luce, 19, of College Station, was seen lying on the tracks and got hit by the train that failed to stop before impact.

According to Union Pacific Railroads Spokesperson Raquel Espinoza, the engineer sounded the whistle as soon as he realized it was a person on the tracks. The train whistle sounded two different times before the accident and put the train into emergency in an effort to stop the train.

“The victim was not wearing ear phones and should have been able to hear the train whistle both times. We just don’t know why he didn’t respond to those warnings,” Espinoza said.

An autopsy was ordered and the victim’s body was sent to Travis County.

Investigators say Luce was alone at the time of the accident. He was with friends at the Northgate District prior to the fatality.

An autopsy was ordered. Police say it will take weeks to determine if alcohol was involved.