Cause of Death Released in Train Derailment Tragedy
Howard County police released the following cause of death of the two 19-year-olds who died in the train derailment.
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Howard County police said the two 19-year-old women who died in a train derailment early Tuesday did so from compressional asphyxia, or death by the lack of oxygen.
The death has been ruled accidental, police said in a release sent out Thursday.
A CSX train that derailed early Tuesday in downtown Ellicott City did so after passing a few feet behind the two young women who were sitting on the edge of a bridge over Main Street, police said.
Those two women, Elizabeth Conway Nass and Rose Mayr, both 19, of Ellicott City, died in the incident after they were "buried under the coal as it dumped from the train cars," Howard County police said.
Police said investigators located the bodies of teens “seated on the edge of a bridge over Main Street.”
Safety officials said in a release the women were “sitting on the ledge facing east towards Baltimore County with their backs to the side of the train as it passed a few feet behind them.”
“For an unknown reason, the train derailed, causing open cars filled with coal to tip over,” according to the release.
Funeral services have been scheduled for the two women killed.
Two viewing services are scheduled Friday, Aug. 24 for Mayr at Harry H. Witzke's Family Funeral Home; one from 3 - 5 p.m. and one from 7 - 9 p.m.
Mayr's funeral will be held at Bethany United Methodist Church on Sat., Aug. 25 at 11 a.m.
A visitation is scheduled for Nass Thursday, Aug. 23 from 5 - 8 p.m. at Church of the Resurrection. A memorial mass will be held at Ressurection on Friday, Aug. 24 at 11 a.m.
Both Ellicott City residents and 2010 graduates of Mount Hebron High School, Mayr was studying at University of Delaware and lived in Newark, DE. Nass was a student at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.
Read more about the train derailment and victims:
- Train Derailment Victims Had One Week Before Returning to College
- Ellicott City Train Derailment Victims Tweeted From Tracks Before Death
- PHOTOS: Main Street Memorial For Derailment Victims
- Vigil for Train Derailment Victims Held Tuesday Night
- 'We Mourn With You': Reactions to Train Derailment
- PHOTOS: Train Derailment in Ellicott City
In This article
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Harry H Witzke Family Funeral Home
4112 Old Columbia Pike, Ellicott City, MD -
Bethany United Methodist Church
2875 Bethany Ln, Ellicott City, MD -
Church of the Resurrection
3175 Paulskirk Dr, Ellicott City, MD -
Mount Hebron High School
Rte 99, Ellicott City, MD -
DawnP
12:00 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012
So sad. My thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends.
Ellen Clampitt
12:29 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012
Heartbreaking.
Candace Y.A. Montague
12:30 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012
Praying for the families in their time of grief.
EL
12:47 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012
Prayers for the family and friends of these young women. To deal with a tragedy like this is so difficult. To have it played out in the media is an even more difficult burden. To have your children's live inspected and analyzed and commented on by strangers must be such an additional heartbreak. My prayers and sympathy for all involved.