Three Teens Killed by Freight Train in Florida

A momentary lapse in judgment can have permanent consequences:

Three teenage girls crossing a bridge in central Florida were killed by a freight train as they desperately tried to get out of its way and their helpless friend on the other side could only watch, police said Sunday.

The girls and the fourth teenager, a boy, were hanging out in Melbourne's downtown area — known for its shops and nightclubs — when they decided to cross the trestle around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Lt. Curtis Barger said.

"The male made it across the tracks, turned around, heard the train, saw it and yelled for them to run," Barger said. "He then told them to jump."

The girls did not have enough time. Barger said all the teens were from the area, but their identities have not been released. That likely won't happen until Monday, after officials can compare dental records, he said.

John Vallee, 54, lives near the trestle that spans the Crane Creek and was watching TV when he heard a loud screech. He went outside and first thought he saw a blanket tangled under a rail car. Then he realized it was a person.

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

Barger said the teens' parents dropped them off at a Melbourne mall and the kids took a bus downtown, where they were "just goofing off."

Trestle bridges are built just wide enough to accommodate the trains that pass over them. They're not built to allow for trains and pedestrian traffic, and a 6,000 foot long double stack freight train isn't going to be able to stop in time to avoid the collision. I feel sorry for the train crew that found themselves in this terrible position and will have to live with this the rest of their lives.