Personal trainer killed by train making YouTube video

WXIA-TV, Atlanta

Show Caption Hide Caption Trainer filming YouTube video hit and killed by train A personal trainer was hit and killed by a train while filming a YouTube video in Atlanta. Police say it appears 30-year-old Achilles Williams misjudged the width of the train and was hit as it passed by.

ATLANTA — A personal trainer and YouTube personality was hit and killed by a freight train Tuesday while filming one of his popular videos.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner's office has identified the victim as 30-year-old Travis Williams.

Williams, who had changed his name to Achilles Williams, was a personal trainer who often videotaped outdoor workouts for his YouTube channel. Investigators say Williams and a friend were shooting a video near train tracks in Buckhead at the time of the accident. Williams was jumping rope while the friend shot video.

Investigators say Williams was not on the tracks, but was close enough to them to be struck as the freight train went by. They say he apparently misjudged the width of the train in relation to the size of the tracks. His friend was not injured but he was knocked down a hill by the impact.

Friends and loved ones have been posting memories of Williams on Instagram and Twitter since the accident.

A memorial service is planned and and a GoFundMe account has been set up to help pay for funeral expenses and to help support his 6-year-old daughter. Those who want to share photos on the 11Alive Photo Gallery, Remembering Achilles William, can tweet them using the hashtag #RIPAchilles.

Norfolk Southern, which owned the tracks, is investigating the accident.