Steve this driver was beheaded in a train wreck. In some versions this comes out coal mining troubles where there had been a bit of fighting but I wolud think that the miners had plenty of tools at hand that could be converted into a weapon if need be.

"My husband was an enginneer, the best in this whole damn whole.
The only thing he done was wrong was to miss just one little curve.

His head was found in the driving wheel, his body was never found."
Barry