JARVIS TOWNSHIP – Madison County Coroner Nicholas P. Novacich has identified a man who died on April 12, 2026, after being struck by a train on railroad tracks in Jarvis Township in Madison County.
The victim was Lonnie L. Dickerson, 56, a man who the coroner said was unhoused. The incident occurred on the tracks east of Lockman Road and Longhi Road in Jarvis Township. Authorities were contacted through 911 at about 11:18 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
Madison County Coroner’s Office Investigator Ashley Reed responded at the request of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and pronounced Dickerson dead at 12:02 a.m. Sunday, April 12, 2026.
Evidence reviewed at the scene indicated Dickerson may have been sleeping on the tracks, according to the coroner’s office. Deputies with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and members of the Troy and Glen Carbon Fire Protection District remained on scene during the investigation and recovery efforts.
The preliminary cause of death is blunt force trauma to the head and abdomen. Routine toxicology specimens were obtained and will be evaluated for the presence of drugs and alcohol.
The coroner’s office said a final cause and manner of death will not be determined until all reports are complete.
The case remains under investigation by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the Madison County Coroner’s Office.
Funeral arrangements for Dickerson are pending with Pitchford Funeral Home in Wood River.
