EASTMAN, Ga. — For the third time in a week in Central Georgia, someone died when their vehicle was struck by a train, but Dodge County's coroner says this case is different from the last two.
Passing trains are a familiar sound to Larry Bell. He lives right off Mann Road, right next to the railroad.
Bells describes the trains traveling as, "real loud, real loud -- about three times a day."
On Wednesday, around noon, it sounded different.
"I heard a thump, then I looked out the window and I saw the train dragging something down the track," says Bell.
Georgia State Patrol says 26-year-old Casey Belflower stopped his car on the tracks.
A Norfolk Southern train traveling south struck the passenger side of his truck.
"So I said, 'That guy must've gotten hit,' because he was just sitting on the tracks. He just drug it down, and all the sudden, the train just stopped," says Bell.
State patrol confirmed that the truck was dragged down the tracks after it was hit.
Dodge County coroner Joe Smith says the wreck was a suicide.
Bell says he knew something was up when he saw Belflower's car stopped directly over the crossing.
"He was just on the tracks. He heard the horn sounding way back in the distance, and he still didn't move," says Bell.
Bell says he was shocked to find out Belflower allegedly didn't move on purpose.
"It's crazy -- you don't go out like that. A train? No, that's terrible."
Coroner Joe Smith said Belflower was a friend of the Dodge County man who died last week.