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Shortcut
across railway line leaves teen dead.
Yourtown, Canada. November 12, 2002
Taking a shortcut railway yard to the
donut shop, Johhny S. was hit by an oncoming train and pronounced
dead. Commuter trains often pass through the Yourtown rail yard
traveling as fast as 135 km per hour. According to the train operator
and railway constable, who both witnessed the scene, Johnny fell
into the path of the train and couldn't escape in time.
The railway constable was patrolling
the yard at the time and saw the entire incident from a far distance
away." Johnny entered the yard the same time as the commuter
train. He started running, and probably thought he would have enough
time to get across the tracks safely. He couldn't hear my attempts
to warn him to stop, because he still had his headphones on. From
where he entered the yard, it could have looked like the train had
a long distance to cover, about the length of a football field.
That train would have traveled the entire length of the railway
yard in about 2 seconds."
The operator of the passenger train
was in a state of shock as a result of the incident. She did all
that she could do; attempt to warn him by blowing the train’s
horn and applying the brakes, but there was no way she could stop
the train in time.
The entire incident could have been
avoided if Johnny had walked to the crossing only five minutes away.
Many people think they are able to take short cuts across the railway
tracks and avoid getting hurt, but in fact many end up dead. On
average, 86 collisions per year occur because of trespassing on
railway property in Canada. Of these collisions, about 60 people
die. The editor expresses sincere sympathy for the family.
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