Save The Trail Coalition

Pedestrian Railway Deaths:

Recurring Problem in Maryland

Pedestrian Railway Deaths Recurring Problem in Maryland
“Tragedy hit Laurel on April 23, when a 14-year-old boy reportedly taking a shortcut across railroad tracks was struck by a CSX train and died.  Unfortunately, nothing about the fatal accident is all that unusual….Montgomery County sees the most trespasser fatalities in Maryland, averaging three deaths per year….Overall, the state has averaged slightly more than nine trespasser deaths per year since 2003.   Even fences built along railroad tracks aren't enough of an obstacle to deter trespassers.   ‘You can't fence off every bit of track, and when you try to do that people cut holes in it,’ Kulat (spokesman for the Federal Railroad Authority) said.”

http://www.journalism.umd.edu/cns/wire/2009-editions/05-May-editions/090505-Tuesday/TrainTrespassers_CNS-UMCP.html

Two Trains Hit Light Rail Crash Victims near Baltimore

“MTA officials said video evidence shows that Connor Peterson and Kyle Wankmiller were walking north on the southbound tracks near Lutherville when they were hit from behind by a light rail train….  At 2:55 p.m., Train No. 1 going northbound hit the boys and the driver was unaware of it, MTA officials said. At 3:10 p.m., Train No. 21 ran over the boys a second time.”

http://www.wbaltv.com/news/19983939/detail.html

Boy, 14, Struck and Killed By Freight Train in Laurel

“A Laurel eighth-grader was struck and killed by a freight train yesterday, and authorities are investigating whether he and other teens were playing "chicken" on the tracks on their way to school…. classmates said it is common for teenagers to walk the tracks and even dodge trains for thrills”. “They tell me he was playing, but he was such a smart boy. How could this happen?” asked his father, Prince Trye, 59, fighting back tears .… His son had been on one set of tracks as a CSX train approached. As he jumped out of the way, he apparently was struck by a second CSX train heading in the opposite direction.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/23/AR2009042302532_pf.html

Officials: Pedestrian hit by CSX train was killed by accident

“Anna Ivantsov thinks that her son was wearing his headphones and was listening to music while taking his usual shortcut to the family’s house near Randolph Hills….  ‘The important message is that railroad tracks are places of business in a sense like a highway or an airport runway,” Bob Sullivan, a CSX spokesman, said. ‘‘These are not places for recreation or taking short cuts’.”

http://www.gazette.net/stories/051408/bethnew194221_32371.shtml

Gaithersburg teen struck, killed by train Saturday afternoon

 “A Gaithersburg teen was struck and killed Saturday afternoon by a CSX freight train near the Montgomery County fairgrounds, police said.  William Mensch Stewart, 17, was struck while crossing the tracks in Gaithersburg, according to a statement from Montgomery County Police. He was with two friends, police said.”
http://www.gazette.net/stories/092407/montnew120718_32370.shtml

Man Struck by Light-Rail Train

A 22-year-old man was seriously injured Saturday when he was struck by a light-rail train pulling into the North Linthicum station, authorities said.… He (spokesman for fire dept.) said it was not clear why the man wanted to cross the tracks, but he said the man was not suicidal.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/05/AR2009040502010.html?sub=AR

Student Wearing Earphones Hit By Green Line Trolley in Boston
“A 21-year-old man wearing earphones walked in front of a Green Line train and was struck by a trolley near Boston College”.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/11/t_student_weari.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed2