KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Several agencies remained on the scene Thursday morning where two juveniles, ages 16 and 12, were struck and killed by a freight train on a railroad bridge near Erie, Kansas.
Around 12:40 p.m. Wednesday, emergency dispatchers in Neosho County, Kansas - about two hours south of Kansas City - received a call from the Union Pacific Railroad that one of their trains had struck two people on a railroad bridge crossing the Neosho River.
Several agencies responded to the scene, where one of the two victims was located deceased. The second victim was later located on the scene also deceased.
Investigators believe the two juveniles were on the bridge as the train approached and were unable to outrun the train.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families affected,” Neosho County Sheriff Greg Taylor said in a Facebook post. “This is a very sad tragedy for everyone involved and our community.”
A Kansas Highway Patrol report identified the victims as a 16-year-old boy from Walnut, Kansas, and a 12-year-old boy from Erie.
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