Passenger Trains > Santa Clara Police: Child hit, killed by Amtrak train

Child hit, killed by Amtrak train in Santa Clara: Police
Saturday, November 16, 2019 11:22PM

KGO

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Authorities are trying to determine how a "very young minor" got onto railroad tracks in Santa Clara Saturday night and was hit and killed by an Amtrak train.

The accident occurred about 4:19 pm along the Union Pacific tracks in Santa Clara.

Police Capt. Wahid Kazem said it isn't clear as to why the child was on the tracks or how the child got there, but stressed it was an accident and not a deliberate act. He couldn't provide the child's age.

Passenger trains operated by Amtrak and by the Altamont Corridor Express have been delayed as a result of the accident.

Amtrak's Capitol Corridor trains in and out of San Jose, as well as one eastbound ACE train destined for Stockton, have been held as the investigation continues.

https://abc7news.com/child-hit-killed-by-amtrak-train-in-santa-clara/5702528/

Police did apparently reveal the age as "under 15" but also provided the "very young minor" description.  If the latter applies, WHERE WERE THE PARENTS?  WHAT WERE THEY DOING? DID THEY KNOW WHERE THEIR CHILD WAS?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/19 10:38 by GenePoon.

Did yours when you were that age?

VintageMac Wrote:
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> Did yours when you were that age?

Depends what age, which isn't clear.  Fifteen, sometimes, but sometimes not.  "Very young," as I understand the description, YES.

When I was 12, we were hoppin' freight trains for fun.  Different time in the early 50s.

Coach,  child was a idiot?

I just by coincidence happened to be listening to the Bay Area UP radio feed when the "EMERGENCT, EMERGENCY, EMERGENCY" call was made to DS58.

Prelim eyewitness report over the air was that adult was on opposite side of tracks from child, and child tried to run across tracks to adult ahead of the train.

Not necessarily true...just a report...

 A similar accident happened in San Leandro a few years back at Davis Street Xing. A husband and wife were on opposite sides of the rails. The husband urged the wife to cross in front of a CapCor train. She was struck and killed. 

When I was in the third grade in San Diego my mother would let me ride the #7 streetcar from east San Diego, through Balboa Park, to the Santa Fe Station where I would watch the San Diegans and one SD&AE passenger train, then hop on the streetcar and go home.  Wouldn't happen today.

JohnM Wrote:
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> Coach,  child was a idiot?

John M., this is uncalled for.  It was a child, not an adult.  I expect you to know the difference.

Coach

JohnM Wrote:
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> Coach,  child was a idiot?

Wow! Did you really just post that? 
 Seriously?

It can happen to even the most watchful parent. It just takes that one time that the child gets away. One time as a toldler my twin and I got away from mom. She quicky found us near the housing complex standing at the edge of a construction pit peering down in the water. You have to undersand that my mom was always overprotective. Needless to say, she was horrified. We were a handful for mom, and dad was often not home, out doing manuevers or building bridges in the U.S. Army. This is the only time that my mom remembers the two of us getting away from her. But it could have been tragic.

In this incident, pity the parents who will carry this to their grave. I know of one incident where the mother was shattered the rest of her life and the father commited suicide.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/19 18:47 by wabash2800.

The "young minor" in this death was identified by news media tonight as a 5-year-old boy.   His name was given in the newscast.  No information yet on how he happened to get on the tracks.  The case has been turned over to local police for possible prosecution of the parents or legal guardians for felony child neglect.