Randy Pennington and his family from Grayson County are accustomed to seeing the steep rise where the train line crosses Black Rock Drive, a farm road in Leitchfield, Kentucky. After all, his house and auto shop are both very nearby. The family’s heart is now being broken by the scene, though.
We now see it every day since I live there, Pennington added. “I have to travel here daily for work. It’s going to be challenging. When he heard the crash on Friday afternoon, Pennington was in his shop. He stepped outside and noticed a smoke cloud, then an automobile that had been struck by a passing train. I honestly don’t know what happened because it happened so quickly, he remarked.
“We observed it to be an automobile. I later realized it was my mother-in-law.
Phyllis Minton, according to Pennington, was a passenger in the damaged vehicle. He claimed that the mother, 63, and grandma were not breathing. Minton was declared dead around 4:45 PM, according to emergency personnel. It’s difficult to comprehend that this actually occurred, he remarked. “It’s difficult to think it’s her. It is unlikely that she won’t awaken.
According to Minton’s family, she has been a devoted Catholic and a math teacher at Grayson County High School for 25 years. Pennington claimed that at the time of the collision, she had even been listening to gospel music, which was still playing when her car was discovered.
Minton’s family, though, is her entire universe. She had a special place in her family’s hearts for their grandchildren, according to her relatives.
He remarked, “She meant so much more to people than she knew.
Pennington said that Minton was killed by a train when she was traveling from her school to his house to deliver items before the family left on vacation. In order to prevent another family from experiencing the same nightmare they are currently experiencing, he requested security to inspect certain areas of Black Rock Drive and to erect gates, lights, and alarms at the intersection.
“She is not retrievable. That won’t change, he declared. But that is a tiny price to pay, in my opinion, for [security measures].
Pennington was aware that despite these modifications, the room would never be the same.
It’s different now every time you hear a train horn, he remarked.
In a statement, Josh Baldwin, the principal of Grayson County High School, said: “Phyllis Minton’s abrupt and tragic death has left our hearts heavy. She was a longtime colleague and friend. Many people benefit from her love of arithmetic and her dedication to kids. The effects of life are extremely real. Although her absence will be greatly felt in our community and schools, her influence will endure.
Kim Pennington, the daughter of Minton, claimed to have discussed creating scholarships on her mother’s behalf with school administrators.
She recommends scholarship donations rather than flowers while the specifics are still being worked out.
According to Minton’s daughter, a memorial meal will be hosted at St. Joseph’s Parish after the Mass on Wednesday at 11 a.m. local time at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.
