photo provided

photo by Stefan Rogenmoser

The Crystal Icehouse Bar & Grill is located off East Doty Avenue.

photo by Judy Watts

A memorial next to the track where Helton died includes messages from friends and family.

photo by Stefan Rogenmoser

A nightmare scene unfolded outside The Icehouse in Summerville early Thursday morning, right as the bar was closing and patrons were filing out.

A young man who was celebrating his birthday at the bar that night walked across the street and struck a moving train at 1:45 a.m. near East Doty Avenue. He died on the scene.

A police report states that Justin Helton, 23, of Summerville had been arguing with some people after a night of drinking, and told someone he was going to "slap the train" that was passing by.

He was sucked under the train and died from multiple fractures and massive blunt force trauma, a police report states.

For Woody, the owner of The Icehouse who only goes by his first name, the tragedy hit home. Helton was a longtime friend, and well known in the area.

“I’m heartbroken,” Woody said, still visibly shaken on Thursday afternoon.

Woody said Helton was at the Icehouse earlier Wednesday evening, left and was drunk when he returned around midnight — so drunk that employees didn’t serve him alcohol.

“He sat down (outside) on the rocking chair with friends,” Woody said.

The scene soon turned ugly.

Right as the bar was closing, the tragedy occurred. Bar patrons and employees were on the scene within minutes.

“People were going nuts,” Woody said. “Everyone in the bar was in the parking lot.”

He said countless police officers, EMS, fire trucks and the highway patrol arrived on the scene.

“They woke every (officer) up,” Woody said. Friends and spectators were screaming and crying, many staying on the scene until 4 a.m., Woody said.

Woody said everyone at the bar is in shock. He added they are all mourning the loss of the well-known and well-liked young man.

Relatives placed flowers along the train tracks the next morning.

“I loved him, and I’m just really heartbroken,” Woody said. “He was a great kid.”

 Contact Jenny Peterson at 873-9424 ext. 216 or JPeterson@journalscene.com.

Journalscene.com ® is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Journalscene.com ® does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not Journalscene.com ®. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.

Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by reading our terms and conditions, and then signing up below!

• Santee Cooper announces 2012 refunding bond sale
• Santee Cooper announces organizational changes in operation and finance departments
• Santee Cooper employees pitch in on Day of Caring
• Aerial herbicide treatment on lakes under way
• Santee Cooper Board Authorizes Rate Study
• Santee Cooper announces refunding bond sale
• Santee Cooper, Florida Municipal Power Agency enter into letter of intent for share of planned V.C. Summer Station units
• Santee Cooper, Duke Energy Carolinas enter into letter of intent for share of planned V.C. Summer Station units 2 and 3