California Teenager Struck and Killed by Train

A 16-year-old boy was recently struck and killed by a train as he tried to cross railroad tracks in Merced, California (16-year-old boy hit and killed by train in Merced, police say). Merced Police said teenager Devonea Graham was crossing the tracks with his two younger siblings when he was killed.

Rosalinda Vega’s 13-year-old son was killed in an extremely similar situation in 2019. “Anyone who has not lost a child could never possibly understand the pain and the change that that takes on life,” Vega said.

Both Graham and Vega’s son were on their way home from school when they were struck by the trains. The stretch of train tracks run near two schools, but the tracks are not blocked off in any way and is easily accessible to children.

Individuals killed while crossing train tracks are certainly not limited to children Just three weeks prior to Graham’s death, a 50-year-old woman was also struck and killed by a train in Merced.

According to statistics compiled by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), pedestrian railroad incidents are a leading cause of death on United States railways. On average, three pedestrians are killed or injured on American railroad tracks every day, and more than 10,000 pedestrians have been killed by trains in the U.S. since 1997. There are approximately 500 train track fatalities across the country each year.

The railroad industry is more than happy to make money by traveling through local communities, but the industry is not willing to spend any of that money to ensure that these communities are safe. If the railroads refuse to make the areas of their track that they know are routinely accessed by pedestrians safer, then they should be held accountable for any tragedies that result.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a railroad crossing accident, it is crucial that you hire an experienced personal injury attorney. Please call DBJ today at 1-800-875-5972 for a free consultation.