By Tim Binnall
For the second time in the last three years, tragedy has struck at a Kentucky site said to be the home of a mysterious creature known as the 'Pope Lick Monster.' According to a local media report, a pair of teenage girls were hit by a train on Sunday night while they were exploring a dangerous trestle in the city of Louisville where, legend has it, a proverbial 'goat man' resides. One of the teens perished in the tragic accident and the other was left with serious injuries. The incident comes on the heels of an eerily similar case from 2016 in which a young woman was killed while visiting the Pope Lick Trestle in search of the monster.
In this particular instance, however, it is uncertain if the urban legend was specifically what drew the two teens to the site over the weekend. An individual claiming to be related to one of the girls took to Twitter on Monday and insisted that the teens' misadventure had nothing to do with the "goat man" and that they were simply "thrill seeking" when they ventured out onto the trestle. While that very well may be the case, it seems certain that the accident will become connected to the creature in the minds of many and, unfortunately, inspire others to tempt fate on the trestle.
To that end, area residents expressed concern over just such a scenario unfolding, particularly when it comes to people who have heard the story of the Pope Lick Monster, but are unaware of the perilous nature of the location in which it allegedly resides. One member of the community mused that "the people that are from out here know better" than to try and cross the trestle because of the tragedies which have taken place there. To those who may wish to throw caution to the wind, she stressed that "it's not worth it to yourself and it's not worth it to your friends and family."