The Polk County Sheriff's Office says a train hit and killed a teen Monday night of October 20, 2009, in Auburndale, FL.
The accident happened at Lake Alfred and Bolender Road in Auburndale, FL.
According to ABC Action News, 18-year-old Robert Lopez Jr., a senior at Auburndale High School in Polk County, FL, was walking along the center of the tracks around 6:00pm.
A 9-car, 2-engine Amtrak Passenger Train traveling from Miami to New York was nearing Bolender Road in Polk County Fl, around the same time.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the engineer of the train saw Lopez walking on the tracks and sounded the horn multiple times.
ABC Action News spoke with Robert Lopez's mother and she said she warned her son to stay away from the tracks numerous times.
Lopez did not seem to hear the horn, but when the train was approximately 20 feet away, he appeared to notice the train and tried to get off the tracks. He was hit and died at the scene.
The engineer stopped the train and called emergency personnel.
According to a recent News article, Florida ranks third nationwide in the number of people killed,120, in pedestrian-train deaths since the start of 2005. Four of those deaths were in Duval County, with two each in Clay and St. Johns and one in Nassau.
There are tips on how to avoid becoming a rail accident statistic, according to CSX Corporation :
- The only safe place to cross railroad tracks is at a public crossing, designated by the crossbuck.
- A safe distance from the nearest rail is at least 15 feet. However, because straps protecting heavy equipment could come loose, you might want to be 25 feet back.
- The average train overhangs the tracks by at least three feet; wider loads can stretch even farther from the tracks.
- Look both ways and listen before crossing tracks. Expect a train at anytime.
- Tracks, trestles, rail yards and equipment are private property. If you hunt, fish or ride your
Rivas Law Group, L.L.C. is a personal injury law firm located in Winter Haven, FL. Attorney Tania L. Rivas is dedicated to meeting the legal needs of Polk County, FL and representing injured victims.
