More information has come to light about the Kentucky man who died Sunday when his car was struck by a train.

Saturday, February 16, 2002

More information has come to light about the Kentucky man who died Sunday when his car was struck by a train.

Capt. Chris Bowman, a detective with IPD, said tests conducted by the county coroner’s office determined James L. Wimberly, 31, of Wurtland, Ky., had a blood-alcohol level of .269 percent at the time of the accident, more than double the legal limit which is set at .10 percent.

Bowman said Wimberly was attempting to cross the Jefferson St. railroad crossing when his vehicle, a 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue, left the roadway and became stuck in the railroad tracks at about 1 a.m. Sunday.

Before the accident, Bowman said, Wimberly had struck the side of a building with his car and left the scene. Police reports show that Wimberly had previous charges, including a concealed weapons and a disorderly by intoxication charge that stemmed from an altercation at a local bar in December of last year. Bowman said there was a pending arrest warrant for Wimberly at the time of the accident.

Wimberly was not being pursued by police officers at the time of the accident.

Bowman said the police have ruled the accident alcohol-related.

A train, operated by the Norfolk, Va. based Norfolk Southern Railroad, struck the automobile, Bowman said, at about 43 miles per hour, shoving the car about 131 feet from the point of impact.

A spokesman from Norfolk Southern said the engineer and conductor aboard the train were not injured in the accident and there was no evidence of wrongdoing by the crew members.

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