Three teenage girls killed by freight train in Melbourne, Florida

[malaise]

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/train-kills-3-teen-girls-crossing-florida-bridge/19366904
<snip>
Three teenage girls crossing a bridge in central Florida were killed by a freight train as they desperately tried to get out of its way and their helpless friend on the other side could only watch, police said Sunday.

The girls and the fourth teenager, a boy, were hanging out in Melbourne's downtown area - known for its shops and nightclubs - when they decided to cross the trestle around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Lt. Curtis Barger said.

"The male made it across the tracks, turned around, heard the train, saw it and yelled for them to run," Barger said. "He then told them to jump."

-------------------------
IF these kids were playing dare or whatever, they have jointly earned the Darwin Award. Very sad for their families but they weren't too bright.

[lonestarnot]

1. How horrible.

[malaise]

3. That's an understatement

Their friend who survived will live with this for the rest of his life.
We did some really stupid things as teenagers but we never tested out wits against trains.

[cali]

7. so will the engineer

[Robb]

2. To be fair, who teaches kids anything about train safety these days?

[malaise]

5. Did anyone teach you?

These aren't nine year olds - they were teenagers looking for thrills.

[Robb]

6. I was told to stay the hell off the trestle, lest I be smeared.

I took the lesson to heart. Not sure why, as I consider it, having sought thrills as a teenager in all manner of foolish ways. :shrug:

[malaise]

8. We did some crazy things as teens as well

but I wasn't testing any trains or cars. I rather loved life.

[left coaster]

11. I don't think we know that they were necessarily looking for thrills..

At least I don't think this initial news blurb tells us that.. however, I do agree that they weren't little children, so there is a good chance they knew how dangerous crossing a bridge like that could be, in theory.. but, like young people, especially teens, often are, it probably didn't occur to them that they might cross that bridge at the wrong time.. it's that nonchalant invicibility of youth attitude that can kill.. what a tragedy..

[NWHarkness]

13. Any basis for that claim?

Nothing in the linked article indicates they were thrill seekers. It sounds more like they made a foolish choice of shortcuts.

[malaise]

17. Play the video n/t

[MicaelS]

12. Operation Lifesaver, that's who

http://www.oli.org/

Trust me, as a former railroad man, the last thing we ever want to do is hit someone, pedestrian or vehicle passenger.

[zonkers]

4. So they made it across, saw a train coming and decided to race back but didn't make it?

[Lorien]

9. No, they were in the process of crossing it. They never made it across. nt

[Libertas1776]

10. Horrible.

what a tragedy for their families. However, I can guarantee that parents, community members will all of a sudden feel a need to campaign for an overpass or something, deeming these grade crossings a menace.

The same thing happened near me more than 20 years ago. The idiot driver of a van with about 8 other teenagers thought he could beat the train and consequently all inside were killed. All of a sudden, that grade crossing had become a menace and every teenage driver was at risk, and an underpass needed to be built. Well, a few years ago they finally got their wish at a cost of a couple of million tax dollars. These crossings all of a sudden didn't become a menace plaguing your community, its the idiot person who thinks they can beat a train, if that is the case, who is the menace.

If, however, it is the case that the signals were not working and it is the fault of the RR, that is a totally different story. However, most often than not, it is the fault of the driver.

[unabelladonna]

14. i remember

if it was the accident on long island.... the teenagers were drunk and tried to drive their car across the tracks (i think it was in mineola). the ground level grade was blamed but it was a matter of the kids trying to drive through the gate.
i can't imagine what the poor conductor/motorman is going through.

[Libertas1776]

15. Yep, that was it.

And yes, it can be brutally traumatizing for the motorman.

[theHandpuppet]

16. It was a trestle bridge

Not designed for foot traffic -- trains only.

Edited to clarify -- I was speaking about the most recent tragedy in FL.