MCCORDSVILLE — A volunteer firefighter en route to an emergency call was killed Christmas Eve morning after his car was struck by a train in McCordsville, officials said.
Richard Rehm, a member of the McCordsville Fire Department, was heading to help a neighbor in need when his car became stuck on a set of train tracks on the county’s northwest side.
The crash happened around 2:30 a.m. in the 6300 block of Broadway Street in McCordsville, where Railroad Street intersects with a set of CSX tracks, officials said.
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Rehm was attempting to cross the intersection on his way to a call when his car became stuck in the tracks; the vehicle was then struck by an oncoming westbound train, officials said. Police did not release details about the nature of the emergency call.
Rehm was pronounced dead at the scene by a representative from the Hancock County Coroner’s Office.
Christmas Eve morning, as news of Rehm’s death spread, his fellow firefighters took to social media to offer comfort to Rehm’s family and share stories about the man they said always put others first.
The McCordsville Fire Department posted an announcement about Rehm’s sacrifice on its page, saying, “Rich lost his life serving the community and is honored as a true hero.”
Additional details about the accident have not been released, with officials citing the ongoing police investigation.
The CSX railroad runs parallel to U.S. 36/State Road 67, which is called Broadway Street inside McCordsville town limits.
The intersection where the accident occurred sits between county roads 600W and 700W and is equipped with lights and crossing bars.
McCordsville hasn’t seen a train-related fatal accident since 2014, when a Marion County woman’s car became stuck on the CSX tracks near the intersection with County Road 700W. She was pronounced dead at the scene after a train struck her vehicle.