Eastern Railroad Discussion > Tragedy on The CN Halton Sub

On the evening of Wednesday May 9, 2001,in Burlington Ontario, a 3 year old girl wandered away from a local church and on to the CN right of way, where she was struck and killed by a westbound CN intermodal train. It is my understanding that the train crew observed the child on the right of way but was unable to stop in time. Normal track speed in this area is 30 to 40 M.P.H. The Halton Police Service and CN Police are investigating how the child exited the church and gained access to the CN right of way. The Halton Police Service, after being notified of the girl's disappearance from the church, were in the process of commencing a search of the local area, when they were notified by the CN Police that she had been struck by the train. Tragically the Halton Police Service had been unable to act as quickly and to deploy the maximum number of available personnel, as a few blocks away a drunken local resident had called in a phoney "man with a gun call". He is now facing multiple criminal code charges.

CN and Halton Region are providing counselling to the train crew, CN Police, Halton Police, Burlington Fire and EMS Crews who attended the scene

Our prayers are with all those involved particularly with the girl's family and the CN train crew

A train accident involving any human being is always tragic but there is always something so very tragic when a child is the victim. I feel so, so sorry for that young soul. The locomotive crew must be devastated. God rest her young soul.

Jim

God rest her soul indeed, but why in the world did you dig up this ten year old post and reply to it as if it happened yesterday?

This might have happened several years ago near East Wayne at New Haven, Indiana. The little girl, probably about the same age, wandered away from a group of kids from the nearby trailer park and walked on the road and then onto the railroad tracks. A couple had pulled over the same time I did and led her back to safety as by then she was already walking on the tracks. I did not have a cell phone at the time and was frantic about calling the police and finally found someone home in the trailer park that allowed me to call 911. (IIRC, it was Friday afternoon.) 911 put me through to the local police department which said they were sending someone out. Meanwhile a lady from the park showed up and said she knew who the child's mother was and her mom apparently had left the park and left her child with the children. (I don't think any of the children were over the age of 6 in that group.) The couple and I were dumbfounded as the police never did show up. We left the child with the neighbor. It was not the first time I was disappointed with the lack of professionalism of the New Haven Police Department. I know, perhaps I should have followed up.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/11 11:27 by wabash2800.

Many, years ago a Wabash freight train ran over a toddler near Eddy, Indiana. The child had wandered away from his home. No one was more distressed about it than the engineer, though it was out of his control. He wrote a long letter to the family telling them how sorry he was and reportedly he never got over it. The family still has the letter and I had the opportunity to get a copy for my collection of research on the line but declined.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/11 15:26 by wabash2800.

Me again. I read a heroic story some years ago that took place around the turn of the last century in which a brakemen climbed out onto the pilot of the locomotive in a similar situation. They figured they could not stop the train in time, so his idea was to snatch the child up out of harms way by jumping out at the right time. He saved the child but lost one leg in the process... The story was printed in the local newspapers and I read it on microfilm. I think it happened somewhere in Ohio.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/11 15:27 by wabash2800.

Funny how a topic from 11 years ago is on top again.

coaststarlight99 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Funny how a topic from 11 years ago is on top
> again.

Not really, your new posting to the discussion moved it back to the top.

Why do we have bring this up. Kind of sick you thing??