Abner Comete, Jacner Comete Obituary, Death – The Virginia State Police have confirmed the identities of three individuals who lost their lives on Monday night when a Norfolk Southern train collided with a passenger van at a private crossing in Augusta County. The incident occurred shortly after 8 p.m. in the 100 block of Wayne Avenue in Stuarts Draft.
According to Sgt. C.J. Aikens of the Virginia State Police, a 2019 Ford Transit van, which was transporting four individuals, was struck by the train at a crossing located on private property. The three deceased individuals were ejected from the vehicle upon impact. Sgt. Aikens indicated that the group was departing from a farm where solar panels were being installed, describing it as a significant solar panel farm.
He noted that the speed limit for trains in that vicinity is 50 mph, and the Norfolk Southern train involved in the incident was operating below this limit. Aikens also mentioned that the crossing lacks gate arms, featuring only stop signs. The victims have been identified as Abner Comete, 48, from Boynton Beach, Florida; Jacner Comete, 44, from Lauderhill, Florida; and Wilda Comete, 38, from Lithia Springs, Georgia. Authorities believe Comete was the driver of the van.
A fourth passenger, Ronide P. Louis, 28, from Lithia Springs, Georgia, who was seated in the front and wearing a seatbelt, survived the crash. She was initially taken to Augusta Health in Fishersville and later transferred to UVA Health in Charlottesville with injuries that were not deemed life-threatening.
Sgt. Aikens reported that the train was hauling approximately 30 cars.
According to the United States Department of Transportation, 29 fatalities occurred at private crossings nationwide last year, including pedestrians, with one of those incidents taking place in Virginia.
From 2020 to 2023, six individuals in Virginia died at private crossings, including a 2020 case in Augusta County. During the same four-year period, the agency reported that 103 people lost their lives at private train crossings across the United States. Rosalyn Floyd, a spokesperson for the Federal Railroad Administration, cautioned drivers that trains are often faster and quieter than many people realize.
