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N.C. man waits for 'ghost train,' killed by real one

STATESVILLE, N.C. -- Authorities say a man who was waiting with several friends for a "ghost train" from a North Carolina legend has been killed when a real train came down the tracks.

Iredell County Sheriff Phil Redmond says 29-year-old Christopher Kaiser of Charlotte was killed about 2:45 a.m. Friday as he waited with friends at a railroad trestle. Redmond says witnesses said about 12 people were on the trestle hoping to see a ghost train when the real train rounded a bend.

Everyone but Kaiser was able to clear the tracks at the end of the trestle. The train struck Kaiser, who was thrown into a ravine.

The legend developed from a train wreck on Aug. 27, 1891, that killed about two dozen people and injured many others. Folklore Web sites claim the accident can be heard on each anniversary.

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<h2>Related links</h2>

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<li><a href="http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2010/07/the_phantom_train_wreck.html">'<b>Phantom train wreck</b>' from AmericanFolklore.net</a></li>

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