Kennewick teen hit and killed by a train during fishing trip near Columbia River
A 16-year-old boy was killed after sitting on railroad tracks in Finely Sunday morning.
The Kennewick teen was out fishing in a lagoon near the Columbia River with two other friends near South Piert Road when he stepped away. The teens had left for their day at 6:30 a.m., Benton County sheriff’s Lt. Mike Clark told the Tri-City Herald.
He sat down on the railroad tracks and appeared to be sleeping when the train started approaching about 9:30 a.m.
His two friends tried to alert him, but the teen didn’t respond before the train hit him. It’s not clear if he had headphones on or couldn’t hear them for some other reason.
He was killed instantly.
An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday, Coroner Bill Leach told the Tri-City Herald.
The teen’s name has not been released.
Detectives are still reviewing the video from the train to determine what happened.
Trains often take a mile before they can completely come to a stop. Clark said in the cases of people on the tracks, drivers may not see the person especially if they’re sitting down.
The engineer may not even have a chance to use their horn to warn the person.
This story was originally published July 22, 2024 at 2:30 PM.