Train kills deaf US beauty queen

Tara Rose MacAvoy was to attend the national pageant in July

A deaf beauty queen has died after being struck by a train in the US state of Texas.

Miss Deaf Texas, Tara Rose McAvoy, 18, who was deaf from birth, was hit by the train in Austin on Monday.

The train continued to sound its horn right up to the accident, a witness told a local television station.

The Texas Association of the Deaf had been appealing for funds to help send Ms McAvoy to the national deaf pageant in California in July.

The state pageant director, Laura Loeb-Hill, told the Associated Press news agency on Monday that Ms McAvoy had represented the state "with dignity and pride".

Ms McAvoy had started at Gallaudet University in Washington in January but had returned to Texas, Ms Loeb-Hill said.