Teen hit, killed by Amtrak train in Centralia

Teen hit, killed by Amtrak train in Centralia

Tools

Story Published: Jul 19, 2008 at 6:13 PM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 20, 2008 at 11:25 PM PDT

By KOMO Staff

Watch the story
CENTRALIA - A 15-year-old boy was struck and killed by an Amtrak train Saturday afternoon in Centralia as he was crossing the tracks on his bicycle.

Police said the deadly accident happened at about 4:30 p.m. as the teen was trying to beat the train through the crossing, near the intersection of South Tower Avenue and Chestnut Street in Centralia.

The boy died instantly. His identity is being withheld until next of kin can be notified.

The incident was witnessed by another 14-year-old boy who was trailing the victim on a separate bicycle and who was not injured.

Levi Anderson was a friend of the teenager and recognized his bike at the tracks.

"All of a sudden his bike hit the ground, and the train was stopping," he said.

The Amtrak train was traveling north from Portland to Bellingham when it hit the boy, officials said. After the accident, the train came to a stop and remained at the scene for about 90 minutes. Passengers aboard the train were not even aware of what had happened.

Amtrak train operators advised that the victim was traveling from the east towards the west and failed to yield to the oncoming train.

Officials confirmed that the train was sounding its horn prior to the impact. The train's onboard computer show that it was running well within its speed limit at the time of the accident.

Anderson said the neighborhood teens often crossed the railroad tracks on their bikes to get to a local video store, where they liked to play games.

An elementary school is located only three blocks away from the crossing, and neighbors say there is a constant stream of children going back and forth across the tracks.

Many neighbors say it is time for the railroad to lower the speed limit of trains passing through the residential area, so that no one else has to die there.

Weather & Traffic

Icon
Current Temp 61.0 °F
Mostly Cloudy
More Weather

Weather & Traffic

More Weather

On Demand

Resources and info you need to prepare for the switch to DTV.

Stay Connected

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Marketplace