13-Year-Old Struck and Killed by Train in Sanford

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on May 20, 2017

An unnamed 13-year-old was walking near the SunRail tracks on Friday, during rush hour, when he walked in front of a train in Sanford. The train struck the young man and killed him. According to the initial police report, the crash occurred around 6:00 in the evening, close to West State Road 46, and resulted in a 45 minute delay to train service. 62 passengers were aboard the train that struck the teen, and they were required to stay aboard the train for several hours while the police conducted their initial investigation.

Specific details relating to the 13-year-old’s death remain elusive. Currently, no name has been released, and it is not certain whether or not his family has been found or notified. Additionally, it is not clear just why the young man was walking that close to the tracks to begin with, whether or not he was alone when the train struck him, or whether or not he was suffering from any unusual psychological or chemical activity that caused him to wander this close to the train.

Certainly, at this point the accident in question creates far more questions than it does answers, and the Sanford Police Department are working hard to unravel just what occurred in the moments before this young man’s death.

As has already been mentioned, the SunRail tracks around the area were delayed for nearly 45 minutes while the police investigated the scene. Trains to the south of the accident were only able to take passengers as far as Lake Mary before being required to stop, while Trains to the north could only take their passengers to Sanford. The Communications Manager for the Florida Department of Transportation, Steve Olson, said that during this time there were busses and shuttles that were running passengers to and from the Lake Mary and Sanford stations so that the individuals who were attempting to commute during this traditionally busy time of day were not left without travel options while the police investigation continued.

The Sun Rail line did not fully reopen until several hours after the incident was initially reported.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.