Fire & Rescue

70-year-old La Crosse man identified as victim in bike-train accident

Published

4 years ago

December 8, 2020

The bicycle rider killed by a train last week in the town of Shelby has been identified as a 70-year-old man from La Crosse.

Donald Socha’s name was released by the sheriff’s department on Monday, three days after the accident at the Ward Avenue train crossing.

The accident happened in the middle of the afternoon, around 3 p.m., and officers say the crossing gates were working when Socha was struck.

La Crosse sheriff’s officers and the BNSF railroad are continuing to investigate.

Related Topics:bicycle rider bnsf Donald Socha Town of Shelby train crossing Ward Avenue

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.