Police said driver Brent Davis tried to help a passenger out before impact at the Clarendon crossing.
SCOTTDALE, Ga. — Investigators in DeKalb County are examining what led a car to stop on railroad tracks at a major crossing before a CSX freight train struck it, killing the driver, Brent Davis, and critically injuring a woman passenger in the early hours of Feb. 10.
The collision happened shortly before 2 a.m. at the North Clarendon Avenue and East Ponce de Leon Avenue crossing in Scottdale, near Avondale Estates, a corridor where rail lines intersect with heavy vehicle traffic. Police and the railroad say two people were in the vehicle. Authorities have not said why it was on the tracks, and they have not released a final report on the equipment at the crossing or the moments leading up to impact.
DeKalb County police have said their preliminary investigation indicates the vehicle was stopped on the tracks and Davis was trying to help the passenger get out before the train arrived. A county spokesperson, Blaine Clark, said the driver’s actions became a central detail in early accounts of the crash. “Preliminary investigation suggests that the vehicle was stopped on the tracks and the driver was trying to help the passenger get out before the train arrived,” Clark said. Police said Davis, 38, died at the scene. The passenger was taken to a hospital and was described as critically injured in initial reports.
CSX said the train “came in contact with an occupied vehicle” at about 1:56 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the N. Clarendon Avenue and Ponce de Leon Avenue crossing in Scottdale. The railroad said none of the crew members on the train were hurt. The company offered condolences and said it would continue supporting law enforcement as the investigation continues. Local reports from the scene described a significant impact to the driver’s side of the car and an extended closure as responders secured the area.
Officials said the intersection was shut down overnight while investigators worked and crews cleared debris. WSB Radio reported that crews tested signals and gates at the crossing during the closure, and that the intersection later reopened to rail and vehicle traffic. Atlanta News First reported the train stopped on the tracks for about two hours after the collision, and that CSX crews spent hours at the site testing the gates and appeared to make repairs, though the company had not confirmed in those reports whether equipment was functioning properly in the minutes before the crash.
The man killed in the collision was later identified by DeKalb County Police as Davis, a Norcross resident, according to local coverage. His family has described him as someone who looked out for others, a framing that has echoed through multiple accounts of what happened at the crossing. In an interview, his father, Stanley Davis, described receiving a phone call from his son minutes before the crash. “1:52 a.m. in the morning, and not panicky or anything and said, ‘Dad, I’m stuck on the train tracks. My car just stopped,’” Stanley Davis said. Stanley Davis said his son then told him, “Let me call you back,” but the call back never came.
Stanley Davis said he did not know why the car stalled. He said the only recent problems he knew of involved tires that needed to be replaced. Investigators have not publicly said whether the vehicle experienced a mechanical failure, whether it was moving or stationary when it reached the tracks, or how much time passed between the car stopping and the train arriving. Authorities also have not said whether the passenger was able to exit the car before impact, how the two occupants came to be at the crossing at that hour, or whether either person attempted to signal the approaching train.
While officials continue to gather facts, the human story around the crash has already taken shape in Davis’ hometown and among relatives. His family says he was one of six siblings and a steady presence in their lives. They say they did not know the woman in the car, and they have described her condition as critical in the days after the wreck, while public updates on her health have been limited. DeKalb County police and local outlets have not released her name.
The crossing itself sits in an area where neighborhoods, small businesses and busy arterial roads meet. East Ponce de Leon Avenue is a well-traveled route through DeKalb County, and North Clarendon Avenue connects drivers to nearby communities. Rail crossings in such corridors typically rely on warning systems — lights, bells and gates — to signal approaching trains and block traffic. Investigators have not yet provided detailed findings about the sequence of warnings, visibility, traffic patterns or any possible obstructions that night.
In the aftermath, Davis’ family has focused less on technical questions and more on what they believe he did with the time he had. His father said he was not surprised that his son tried to help someone else because that was consistent with how he lived. “This is something I know he would’ve did for anyone,” Stanley Davis said. In another statement addressed to his son, Stanley Davis said he had no second thoughts about the decision Davis made, calling it “the right decision,” even if it meant sacrificing his life.
A fundraiser has been started to help cover funeral costs, and Davis has been described in community conversations as a hero. Investigators have not announced any charges, and no hearings or formal proceedings have been scheduled publicly. Officials have not given a date for a final report, but they have said the investigation will continue as they review the scene, the crossing equipment and the events that led to the car being on the tracks.
Author note: Last updated February 19, 2026.