South Carolina man identified as truck driver killed in train crash, officials say
One person was killed early Tuesday morning when a train collided with a pickup truck, according to the Columbia Police Department.
Otto Asmond Jr., a 57-year-old West Columbia resident, was identified as the victim by Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford on Wednesday.
The crash happened before 4:30 a.m. on the railroad tracks near the intersection of S.C. 16/Sunset Drive and Phillips Street, police said. That’s in downtown Columbia, near the Prisma Health Richland hospital complex.
An Amtrak passenger train was traveling north on the CSX railway, heading to North Carolina, according to police.
An investigation determined that the pickup was driving west on Sunset Drive when the driver went around the crossing arms where the signal lights were activated and was hit by the train, police said.
The pickup driver died, police told The State.
The coroner’s office is assisting with the ongoing investigation, according to police.
No other injuries were reported.
Through Sunday, 52 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2025, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, at least 948 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.
At least six people have died in Richland County crashes in 2025, according to DPS data. There were 52 deaths in the county in 2024, DPS reported.
Four of those deaths have occurred since Saturday afternoon.
Train safety
Here are some tips to follow near tracks and trains:
▪ Cross only at designated crossings
▪ Never go around flashing lights or gates
▪ Trains can come anytime, any track, either direction
▪ Always expect a train; freight trains don’t travel at fixed times and schedules for passenger trains often change
▪ Never walk on train tracks; it’s highly dangerous and trespassing because all track are private property
▪ Trains have the right of way 100% of the time over pedestrians and vehicles, including police and emergency vehicles
▪ Trains overhang tracks, stay 15 feet back from the tracks
SOURCE: Operation Lifesaver
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This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 1:45 PM with the headline "South Carolina man identified as truck driver killed in train crash, officials say."
