Teen struck, killed by train in Troutdale while taking senior photos

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Hat tip, Trainorders:

Western Railroad Discussion > Teen Hit, Killed, Troutdale, OR

Teen struck, killed by train in Troutdale while taking senior photos
Updated Nov 03, 2019;Posted Nov 03, 2019

By Emily Goodykoontz | The Oregonian/OregonLive

A teenage boy was killed by a train near the Troutdale Bridge while taking his senior photos on Saturday evening, police said.

A Union Pacific train struck the 17-year-old near the Columbia River Highway, according to a statement from Union Pacific. Just before 6 p.m., Multnomah County Sheriff deputies responded to a call that a teenager had been hit by a train and found the youth dead at the scene, according to a statement. The train crew was not hurt, according to Union Pacific.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident. The teen’s identity has not been released by the medical examiner.

“Our thoughts are with the teen’s family and friends. We plead with parents, students and photographers to not take photos on or near the tracks,” the Union Pacific statement reads.

-- Emily Goodykoontz; 503-221-6652; [e-mail]

[Stargazer09]

1. Incredibly sad

There are thousands of beautiful places in Oregon to use as a backdrop for senior photos. I just don’t understand why anyone would choose to use an active railway for a photo shoot.

[CentralMass]

2. Tragic.

[defacto7]

3. I know that bridge well.

The freight trains go pretty fast through there and I doubt they can stop without a mile of warning at least.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. Selfie Tragedy Forever Impacts Those Left Behind

Some of the links, to photographs, have gone bad.

Selfie Tragedy Forever Impacts Those Left Behind

This is from a Union Pacific Railroad press release.

Full disclosure: I own shares of Union Pacific. I am posting this because I am getting tired of reading about people putting themselves in such risky positions.

The @ sign in the photos' links means the original photos won't open at DU. You'll have to cut and paste to see them.

I ran the pictures through https://postimage.org/ to put them in a form that will show up here.

SAFETY 12•08•2016

Selfie Tragedy Forever Impacts Those Left Behind

http://www.up.com/cs/groups/public/@uprr/documents/digitalmedia/img_up_instrk-selfie-final_mr.jpg



Kelsea Webster, 15, Essa Ricker, 15, and Savannah Webster, 13, did not hear the horn blasting as the approaching train's headlights created a halo in their final selfie.

Essa Ricker and Kelsea Webster, both 15, and Kelsea’s little sister, Savannah, waved at a westbound train crew and squeezed in for a selfie as it rolled through Utah’s scenic Spanish Fork Canyon October 2011. ... "Standing right by a train ahaha this is awesome!!!!" posted Savannah on Facebook as the train's steel wheels banged along the track's steel rail.

The excitement in the trio's eyes matched their big smiles as the train fanned their blonde hair in the wind while they posed for the selfie—completely unaware of the approaching train coming from the other direction. The train's headlights were visible on the top right side of the photo. ... "They were in their own little world," recalled John Anderson, train conductor inside the eastbound Union Pacific train locomotive. Engineer Michael Anderson, no relation to John, blasted the train horn to get the girls' attention. No response. Not even a flinch.

Trains traveling at 55 mph can take more than a mile to come to a complete stop after the emergency brakes are applied. A rush of panic, confusion and fear filled the locomotive as the train raced toward the girls at approximately 39 miles mph.


“We saw them for about 12 seconds until they disappeared from our sight and the train continued moving forward.”
— Conductor John Anderson

"We watched in horror as we got closer," said John, recalling how both he and Michael yelled as if it might stop what they knew was about to happen. "We saw them for about 12 seconds until they disappeared from our sight and the train continued moving forward." ... John raced back when the train finally stopped about a quarter mile down the track. The first girl he saw had no pulse and it was clear a second girl was no longer alive. John heard 13-year-old Savannah near the railroad crossing. She was hurt and agitated, but alive. ... "I told her everything would be OK and she relaxed a little," said John, who held Savannah's hand until paramedics arrived. "I hoped she would make it and for some reason I really thought she would."
....

http://www.up.com/cs/groups/public/@uprr/documents/digitalmedia/img_up_selfiesafety_crew.jpg



Conductor John Anderson and Engineer Michael Anderson desperately tried to get Kelsea, Essa and Savannah’s attention. They were unable to stop the train before hitting the teenagers.

[customerserviceguy]

5. Back when I was a kid in Indiana

we lived very near a train track, and while I would cross the track to go to the other side of the neighborhood to play with a friend over there, my dad made damned good and sure that he taught me that you spend as little time on a track as is possible. In his youth, he worked on a railroad, and saw all kinds of tragedies where someone didn't follow that advice.