Truck Collides with Train on Cook Road

A man was airlifted to Chapel Hill after his pick-up truck was involved in a collision on the Southern Railroad tracks on Cook Road on the border of Elon and Gibsonville late Thursday.

The driver Barry Shelton is being treated at North Carolina Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill. Officials at the hospital say he is listed in fair condition.

The road was blocked by the train and shut down shortly after 8:00pm. The train was heading toward Gibsonville.

Elon Fire Chief Eddie King tells Phoenix14 it appeared the signal was working and that the arms came down.

“The impact appears to be more to the rear,” King said. “The train was going anywhere from 30 to 40 miles per hour.”

The train, which had stopped on the tracks for some time, has now moved.

Elon Police Make Arrest In Peeping Tom Case

Phillip Wagner

An Elon man is facing charges of peeping and indecent exposure according to Elon Police Chief LaVell Lovette.

Elon resident Phillip Wagner was charged Monday following an incident Wednesday August 18. Lovette said Wagner was gratifying himself at the home of the victim, an Elon student, on West Trollinger Avenue.

Several witnesses saw the suspect as he was chased from the apartment into his car. He got away, but a police detective was able to pull up information from previous cases and match the description of the suspect to Wagner.

Wagner has a long criminal history involving peeping and indecent exposure, which are misdemeanor charges. Despite those charges, Wagner is not registered as a sex offender.

The charges carry a sentence of six months to two years and may be eligible for probation, according to Lovette.

Elon students have been victims of many peeping tom incidents in recent years. “[Wagner's] not responsible for all of them, early on there was another suspect,” Lovette said. “We’ll be looking into all reports to look into additional charges.”

Lovette said it is hard for police to make arrests in these cases. “It is such an emotional incident. Victims are not able to identify perpetrators,” she said. “It is such a shock, they don’t remember all the details of who they are.”

And Lovette reminds students to stay alert.

“Even though we made this arrest, he has a prior history. He continues to do the same act. You can’t let your guard down. This doesn’t mean he’s going to stop and there’s not going to be someone else out there,” she said. “If you don’t feel comfortable call us at 911.”

-Drew Smith

Lighthouse Likely to be Under New Management This Fall

Elon University is in talks to hand over the management of Lighthouse Tavern. Sources say that the new manager will be Christopher Russell. Russell opened The Town Table restaurant after purchasing that space from the university earlier this year. In addition to owning The Town Table, Russell also owns B. Christopher’s and B’s Bistro in Burlington.

Dean of Students Smith Jackson confirmed to Phoenix14 this week that the university, “is in conversation with Mr. Russell about the possibility of his leasing the building to operate a tavern or restaurant.”

Although Jackson said an agreement had not been reached yet, Russell indicated that one will come soon.

“We are very close to coming to an agreement,” Russell said Friday morning.

Stay with Phoenix14News for more information on the future of Lighthouse as it develops.