DALTON — The Whitfield County Coroner’s Office positively identified Edna Michelle McClintock as the pedestrian struck and killed by a train. Edna McClintock was struck and killed by a train on Thursday, July 23, 2026, around 4 a.m.

McClintock was 48 years old at the time of the incident. The event took place near Willowdale and Chattanooga Road in Dalton. This specific crossing has been the site of previous fatal accidents. In 2019, a 71-year-old man was killed by a CSX train at the same Willowdale Road crossing in Dalton, Georgia, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Authorities from multiple agencies responded to the scene to manage the investigation. The Whitfield County Coroner’s Office coordinated with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office on the investigation. The Dalton Police Department, Dalton Fire Department, and Hamilton EMS provided assistance during the investigation.

The location of the fatality has drawn attention from state transportation officials in recent years. The Willowdale Road crossing in Dalton, where the incident occurred, had been under review for potential safety improvements by the Georgia Department of Transportation since 2024 due to a series of near-misses and minor incidents. Broader data indicates that such crossings remain a significant risk factor for pedestrians across the state. According to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, 33% of all train-pedestrian collisions in the state occurred at unmanned railroad crossings, like the one where Edna McClintock was struck.

This death marks another fatality involving a major rail carrier in the region for the year. Edna Michelle McClintock was the third pedestrian killed by a CSX train in Georgia in 2026, according to the Federal Railroad Administration database. Regulatory records show that CSX Transportation has a history of safety violations at railroad crossings in Georgia, including a 2021 citation from the Federal Railroad Administration for failing to maintain proper warning systems at a crossing near Dalton.