Conservative radio host, 49, dies after he was hit by a passing Amtrak train as he jogged along the tracks in Texas
A Texas radio host has died after he was hit by an Amtrak train as he was jogging along the tracks.
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Michael 'Doc' Thompson, 49, passed away on Tuesday after he was hit by the running train in Haltom City, Texas around 3.45pm, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner's office.
Witnesses and train crew said he was jogging along the tracks when he was struck by the passing train. No one on the train was injured in the crash, according to the Dallas News.
Wireless earbuds were found at the scene, although it's not clear if they belonged to Thompson.
Thompson ran a radio talk show called 'Daily Mojo' and was known for his conservative libertarian views.
He was married to Yuna Lee, a local news anchor in Arkansas. They shared three children Tiger, Cubby, and Wythe, and resided in Bentonville, Arkansas. Thompson commuted weekly to Texas for his radio show.
Lee took to Facebook to share the devastating loss.
'I am having a hard time processing all of this and coming up with words, but I am so thankful for the love you have shown Mike and our boys,' she wrote on Thursday to her followers.
'We will take all the love and prayers we can get. Once I can come up with more words, I will share them with you. For now, thank you so so much, sweet sweet friends,' she added.
On Wednesday his co-radio hosts Ron Phillips and Brad Staggs paid tribute to him on-air.
Thompson also used to host a show on Fox personality Glenn Beck's The Blaze. Beck also paid tribute to him on Wednesday, fondly remembering him as 'the ultimate entrepreneur'.
'Doc was one of the more gregarious guys I know. He was the ultimate entrepreneur. He left us to start his own business,' he said to TheBlaze.com.
'He loved new businesses and because of Doc, many businesses are flourishing because he would take them under his wings. He just always had a positive attitude and a can-do spirit, and we are devastated as a family and devastated for his family,' he added.
Fans lamented the radio icon's death as well. One said on Facebook: 'I just keep waiting for him to show up'.
A GoFundMe page has already raised $104,395 to support Thompson's family, surpassing the goal of $20,000 by Thursday.
Thompson's bio page described his broadcast style as a mix of reporting, commentary and humor. He had a conservative libertarian political philosophy and economically supported a free market.