An 18-year-old Odessa man is dead after a pedestrian-train collision early Tuesday morning in Odessa.
Ryan Alan Theesfield, 18, of Odessa, was struck and killed by a Union Pacific train on the tracks at around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, an Odessa police release states.
The collision occurred near the intersection of West 1st Street and South Crane Avenue.
The release states that no foul play is suspected.
Theesfield was listed among Permian High School’s class of 2018 graduates who celebrated commencement last month.
A representative of Grace Christian Fellowship in Odessa described Theesfield as a smart and gifted person.
“Our Church here at Grace was devastated by the news of Ryan’s passing this morning,” a church representative said in a statement sent to the Odessa American. “Ryan was a smart and gifted young man who loved God and sought His deepest truths. He was always looking for an opportunity to engage in theological conversations with anyone who would listen.
“We are still processing with the family and praying for them as they work through this time of grief. We trust that today Ryan is at peace with God and that is where we rest.”
A Union Pacific spokesman confirmed Tuesday that the collision involved a company train, saying that, according to initial statements from train crew, it was not a situation where the individual appeared to be stuck or trapped on the tracks. He said the crew put the train into emergency stop and sounded its whistle, but could not stop in time, and that the involved individual did not move off of the tracks.
An Odessa police official said OPD responds to several train-pedestrian collisions per year.
