79. Edgewater man killed after being struck by train while throwing rocks at it

Danielle Duke with her late brother, Adam Royce DukeAdam Duke with a nephewAdam Royce Duke, shown at far left with his sister Danielle on his Facebook page, was struck and killed by a train in Edgewater in June. A remembrance photo of him with a nephew placed on his profile page, describes him as "Son, Brother, Friend."

EDGEWATER -- A man killed after slipping on the railroad tracks while throwing rocks at a train on June 12 has been identified by cops as 24-year-old Adam Royce Duke.

And a local family remembering the loss of a father now come to grips with the loss of his son, a young man with a life filled with possibilities. It coms in as No. 79 in Headline Surfer's countdown of the top 100 local stories of 2012.

The Edgewater man was with two juveniles when he slipped and fell into the path of the train after throwing rocks at it, police said.

The Florida East Railroad notified Edgewater police at 1:25 a.m. that a northbound train struck the young man in the 2500 block of Hibiscus Drive, just north of 26th Street. Police had delayed releasing his name while contacting his nearest relatives. 

Though police said in a press release that he lived in Edgewater, the victim's Facebook profile said he was from Edgewater, but was residing in Daytona Beach Shores. He graduated from New Smyrna Beach High School in 2007.

Ironically, he described on his Facebook page where it lists favorite quotations: "Live now, Die later."

Duke was described on his Facebook page in a photo as "Son, Brother and Friend."

Lauren Lanier, a family friend said of him, "I am best friends with his sister, Danielle, so I have known him and his family for 10 years. He was a hard worker, great friend and loved his family very much."

She said Duke had a girlfriend for three years and worked as a landscaper.

"We had a memorial for him (Friday) and many people showed up to celebrate," Lanier said. "All of his friends expressed he was a loyal friend and would do anything for them. His father passed away a few years ago. He was very close with his family and they will miss him very much."

Top 100 Countdown Recap:

79. Edgewater man killed after being struck by train while throwing rocks at it
80. County Council breaks bread with Daytona Area Chamber of Commerce
81. Body of 55-year-old DeBary man found in charred remains of home
82. Crossdresser rebuffed in trying to rob Deltona pharmacy of pills
83. Deltona pit bull 'Snoopy' back home
84. Ormond Beach cops: Man driving upwards of 150 mph in Lamborghini killed on US 1
85. NSB cops: Motorist arrested on fourth DUI charge
86. Postal truck becomes engulfed in flames in Edgewater, but mail salvaged
87. New Smyrna Beach Finance Dept. wins national award
88. Sad irony: Elderly man drowns in river named for death
89. NSB Fire Chief Dave McAllister among community award winners by Volusia League of Cities
90. Unlicensed 17-year-old Orange City boy runs over and kills 84-year-old woman in Deltona shopping plaza
91. NSB City Clerk Johnny Bledsoe gets new contract; 20 weeks compensation if canned
92. Votran bus operator drives 2 million miles on Volusia County roads without an accident
93. Jason McGuirk gets Jim Hathaway's seat on NSB commission
94. Holly Hill woman calls in bomb threat at work forcing evacuation of 300; tells cops she was bored
95. Sheriff holds open house in Oak Hill six months after taking over law enforcement duties
96. Audio: Cop pursuit in New Smyrna Beach with speeds clocked at 100 mph-plus ends with stop sticks
97. Ponce Inlet Councilman Joseph Perrone holds onto his seat by one vote
98. Edgewater's Tia McDonald featured in book while visiting Australia
99. Gene Emter wins Edgewater City Council seat by 12-vote margin in special election Link: http://headlinesurfer.com/content/410884-99-gene-emter-wins-edgewater-city-council-seat-12-vote-margin-special-election
100. Chip Ganassi cars finish 1-2 in Rolex at Daytona
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