Deaths

Associate Killed In Tragic Train/Car Collision

She leaves behind a loving husband and a 9-month-old daughter.

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We’ve got some sad news to report out of Illinois today, where a young associate was killed after her car was struck by an oncoming train.

Melanie Swearengen, 35, was killed on August 2 when she drove her car off the road in an attempt to turn around, got stuck on train tracks, and hit by an Amtrak train at about 10 p.m. Swearengen was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. She was an associate in the asbestos litigation practice group of Napoli Shkolnik. The firm posted a statement on its website in the wake of Swearengen’s death:

We are sad to share the news that our friend and co-worker Melanie Swearengen was killed in a car accident earlier this week. Melanie was a dedicated attorney who advocated for her clients but was also a caring friend and loving wife and mother. She will be missed. Our prayers and thoughts are with her loved ones.

Melanie Swearengen and her daughter, Olivia

According to Kathleen Beach, spokeswoman for United Cerebral Palsy Heartland, Swearengen had been a member of the nonprofit’s board of directors for the past three years. “Despite having a new baby and a new law position and a new home, she was always more and more committed to our organization,” Beach said in an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “It’s a sad and great loss. It’s absolutely crushing to everybody here, because she was so involved.”

Swearengen leaves behind a loving husband and a 9-month-old daughter.

We here at Above the Law would like to extend our condolences to Melanie Swearengen’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.

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Attorney killed when Amtrak train hits vehicle stuck on tracks in Brighton [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
Illinois Train Crash Claims Life of Law Firm Associate [Am Law Daily]

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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