USA: Three Girls Killed By Train On Rail Bridge

[John Ashworth]

Three Girls Killed By Train On Rail Bridge

4:27pm UK, Sunday February 21, 2010

Katie Cassidy, Sky News Online

Three teenage girls have been hit and killed by a train on the tracks of a rail bridge in Florida.

A fourth teen, a boy, had gone ahead of the girls and made it safely to the other side when he saw the train approaching.

Following the tracks was the only way off the trestle bridge, which spans a creek in Melbourne, Florida.

Police said the boy shouted to the girls, warning them to go faster - but they failed to reach the end in time and were hit from behind.

"At this time it is unknown why the juveniles were walking on the train tracks," Lieutenant March Claycomb said.

A nearby level crossing had to be closed for several hours, causing cars to be diverted around the accident scene, reports said.

Lt Claycomb said the victims have not yet been named as officers were still trying to contact next of kin.

The city's police department along with the Florida East Coast Railway Police are investigating the accident.

Local resident John Vallee told Florida Today: "I was watching TV and I heard the train hit its emergency brakes and heard all the cars start slamming together, so I was curious to see what was going on."

He said he walked up to the guarded crossing and saw a body near the first carriage.

"It's going to be hard for me to get to sleep," Mr Vallee said. "I can't get it out of my mind."