Man Critical After Falling 50 Feet Onto RailRoad Tracks In Greenbrier
UPDATED…
GREENBRIER, TENNESSEE: (Smokey Barn News) – A 21-year-old man was transported to Skyline Medical Center in Nashville with serious injuries after he fell 
some 50 feet off a steep ledge landing on railroad tracks in Greenbrier near the mouth of the CSX tunnel.
Crews from the Ridgetop Fire Department, the Greenbrier Fire Department, the Springfield Fire Department, the Greenbrier Police, the Robertson County Sheriff’s Deputies, the Robertson County Emergency Management Agency and Robertson County EMS and CSX worked from Hwy 41, Old Greenbrier Pike, and Oliphant St to rescue the man. The first call came into 911 at 9:38 pm. LOCATION OF RESCUE
Information is still coming in but as we understand it at the moment, there were several attempts to rescue the man by lifting him up the embankment in a Stokes basket but ultimately he was loaded onto a CSX road-rail vehicle and transported to the tracks at Old Greenbrier Pike and Industrial Dr. near the Louise Martin Ball Fields MAP and transferred to Robertson County EMS who transported the man to Skyline in critical condition.
Several roads, including Hwy 41 were blocked or closed for short periods during the rescue.
“They never actually attempted a rope pull because rocks kept falling, and we almost had one responder get hurt due to the darkness and rough terrain,” said Robertson County EMS Director Brent Dyer. “The CSX idea was awesome and worked great, getting the guy from CSX there in the rail truck. He was the son of Ridgetop Fire Chief Tony Reasoner; Tony called him from the scene. It was so cool to have local family and community work together.”
A medical helicopter was kept on standby at the Ridgetop Fire Station’s landing pad on Hwy 41 but the decision was made to transport the man via ground instead.
UPDATE: The family is asking for privacy but did reach out to Smokey Barn News with a message. “Somehow the 50-foot fall did not claim our son’s life. He has serious injuries and broken bones but we are hopeful that he will recover in a few weeks or months. There is a concern about his lower back but he does have feeling in his legs. The response we got from first responders was incredible. Greenbrier police arrived within 60 seconds of our call and all the firefighters were amazing. Our family will be forever thankful for their life-saving efforts.”
For those of you new to the area or unfamiliar with the tunnel, the Ridgetop Tunnel, also known as the CSX Tunnel, is a historic single-track railroad tunnel located beneath Ridgetop, Tennessee. Constructed in the early 1900s by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, it spans approximately 2,800 feet and features brick and stone lining. The tunnel was built to provide a more direct route through the challenging terrain of northern Middle Tennessee, improving rail efficiency. Today, it remains an active part of CSX Transportation’s freight network, highlighting its enduring significance in the nation’s rail infrastructure and the local heritage of Ridgetop.
A special thanks to the Robertson County Emergency Management Agency for several of the photos attached to this report.
