CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — A 22-year-old Messiah University student has been identified as the victim of a fatal train incident near the school’s campus in Upper Allen Township. The Cumberland County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Brendan Heisey of Elizabethtown was struck and killed Friday morning while walking along the railroad tracks near the university’s South Gate.
Authorities said the tragedy unfolded in the 400 block of Grantham Road, near the Grantham Road overpass. Norfolk Southern officials noted that the site of the accident was not at a designated public grade crossing. The northbound train struck Heisey as it traveled through the area, leaving him with multiple traumatic injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner’s office.
Emergency responders rushed to the location shortly before 11 a.m. Upper Allen Township Police led the on-scene investigation, while Norfolk Southern confirmed none of its train crew members were injured during the incident. The company said it would fully cooperate with local authorities as they work to determine what led to the fatal accident.
Messiah University responded quickly, releasing a statement acknowledging the devastating loss. The university extended its deepest condolences to Heisey’s family, classmates, and faculty members. Officials also said counselors and support staff were being made available to provide assistance to students and staff coping with the shock and grief brought on by the tragedy.
As a precaution, university leaders announced that the South Gate entrance to campus will remain temporarily closed while the investigation continues. The closure, they said, would ensure public safety and give investigators the space needed to conduct a thorough review of the scene. Police and the coroner’s office are working jointly to piece together the circumstances surrounding Heisey’s presence on the tracks that morning.
The heartbreaking death of Brendan Heisey has left a deep impact on both the university and the broader community. Friends and faculty are remembering him as a young man whose life ended far too soon. Authorities have not yet released further details about why Heisey was near the tracks or whether additional factors played a role, but they continue to remind the public about the dangers of walking along or crossing railroad lines outside designated areas.