GAITHERSBURG TEEN STRUCK AND KILLED BY TRAIN (09/22/07)

(GAITHERSBURG) - Around 1:15pm, Montgomery County police were dispatched to the railroad tracks on Chestnut street for a report of a pedestrian struck by a train. Upon arrival of Gaithersburg Ambulance 87, Medic 89, Tower 8, and other MCFRS units, the 17 year old male patient was pronounced dead on the scene.

Investigation revealed that a CSX freight train traveling westbound saw the teen on the tracks and blew the whistle several times. Despite applying the brakes, the engineer could not stop the train before impacting the teenager. Earlier, friends of the victim crossed over the tracks and were calling for their friend to get off the track because of the oncoming train. It is not known why the victim was not able to cross the tracks.

The Gaithersburg and surrounding area have numerous railroad tracks which are not protected by fences or other means. It is always hazardous to cross any train tracks especially at locations that lack the warning signs and gates the can indicate an approaching train.

Remember the following

• CROSSING TRAING TRACKS IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS
• By the time the engineer can visually see an obstacle on the tracks, it is usually too late to stop the train
• If you must cross tracks, do so at spots where warning devices can warn you of approaching trains
• If in a vehicle, do not try to evade the gates - they are there for your protection
• A train traveling on the tracks is an enormous object with a large amount of momentum - it will cause severe injury or death if it strikes an individual
• At sites where multiple tracks are present, two trains traveling in opposite directions may cross each other at the same time or staggered - when the gates are down, a train is at least within 1 mile of the locations or less.

CLICK HERE FOR CSX TRACK SAFETY