21 March 1950 – “Pamplin – Four men were killed near here Monday afternoon when an eastbound train crashed into a sedan at a doublerack grade crossing. A fifth man is in Lynchburg General Hospital in a semi-conscious condition.
“The dead are Bernard McKinley Thomas of Appomattox, said by state trooper, J. S. Peraons to have been the driver of the car; Robert Lee Thompson, 19, of Route 3, Appomattox; Samuel Daniel and Elijah Goode. The last two are Negroes [sic].
“The collision occurred about 2:30 p.m. The train was hailed soon after the accident and the train crew summoned ambulances. The two Thompsons and the Negroes [sic] were pronounced dead upon arrival at Southside Hospital at Farmville.”
Source
“Four Men Killed In Car, Train Crossing Crash,” Kingsport News (Kingsport, Tennessee), 21 March 1950.