2 killed in Amtrak train collision worked at South MS gym, coroner says
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- Two Top Guns Gym employees died Tuesday in a train-car collision in Pass Christian.
- The vehicle crossed tracks without slowing before being struck at 44 mph by Amtrak.
- Crossing lights were inoperable post-crash; crossing lacked barrier arms entirely.
The two people killed when an Amtrak train collided with their car Tuesday night in Pass Christian were employees of a local gym, authorities said.
The train hit Douglas Craddock, 31, and Tavianna Ellegant, 24, at about 7 p.m. as they crossed Davis Avenue, Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer said.
They had just left work at Top Guns Gym about a half-mile away, the coroner said.
The Amtrak train was rolling east on a new route that connects New Orleans and Mobile. It hit the car’s passenger side and killed Ellegant at the scene. Craddock died just before 8 p.m. at a hospital. The coroner said the victims lived in Long Beach.
The gym said on Facebook that the employees “worked like family and joked like friends.” Staff asked residents to keep the victims’ loved ones in their prayers and shared a GoFundMe organized by Ellegant’s family in Alabama.
Authorities said the car crossed the tracks without slowing down. The train tracks at Davis Avenue have flashing warning lights, but the lights were not working when authorities arrived at the scene because the car crashed into them, Switzer said. The crossing does not have arms to block traffic.
The train was moving at 44 mph when it hit the car, which is a typical speed in the area, Switzer said.
Authorities let the train pass after the collision. Amtrak confirmed Tuesday night that none of the 97 passengers on board were injured.
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 7:37 AM.