THE LEDGER-STAR
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 14, 1994 TAG: 9407140387
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: MANASSAS, VA. LENGTH: Short : 33 lines
Authorities are investigating whether four young men killed by a 144-car freight train were playing a pre-dawn game of ``chicken.''
``All the clues point to people partying,'' Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney Paul B. Ebert said of the four who were struck and killed at 4:35 a.m. Wednesday by the Norfolk Southern train.
Drug paraphernalia and beer cans were found at the site, which is near a commuter rail station just west of Manassas, and an unoccupied car parked nearby smelled strongly of alcohol, authorities said.
The victims ``may have been trying to lie between the tracks, thinking the freight cars would go over them . . . like they were playing `chicken,' '' Ebert said.
Prince William County Police spokeswoman Kim Chinn said today that authorities were reasonably certain they had determined who the four were. Four wallets were found at the scene.
It may be several days before they are positively identified because the bodies were mutilated, she said.
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT TRAIN FATALITY
by CNB