A teenager was hit and killed by a freight train Sunday afternoon in south Fort Worth.
The accident, according to Union Pacific Railroad, happened around 2:30 p.m. a half mile north of Sycamore School Road near Hallmark Park.
Fort Worth Police called it a "tragic accident."
Fort Worth police spokesman Sgt. Kelly Peel said that five boys were crossing through a stopped train Sunday afternoon.
"We think they were going to a neighborhood store from their neighborhood," Sgt. Peel said.
He said the boys were crossing in-between two of the cars. Four of the boys made it across safely, but a northbound train on an adjacent track hit the fifth boy before he could cross.
Union Pacific says that boy was 16-years-old. The railroad told NBC 5 the engineer sounded the whistle and the emergency brake was applied, but the brake often takes a mile before stopping a train. The teen was hit and killed by the locomotive. Three crew members were onboard, but uninjured.
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"This is a very said situation for everyone involved," spokeswoman Raquel Espinoza said.
Espinoza said the three crew members would be reached out to by the company if they have any problems related to the accident.
Police homicide detectives assisted Union Pacific Police in the investigation and could be seen talking to several teenagers around the accident scene on Sunday afternoon.
Espinoza says the only safe and legal place to cross railroad tracks is at a designated crossing, where the tracks are typically even with the road and have appropriate gates, signs and flashing lights. She says anyone crossing at any other location or on any railroad equipment is trespassing.
"It's very dangerous to cross the railroad tracks, especially through a train that's stopped because you don't know what's on the other side," Sgt. Peel said.
Sgt. Peel said police have had issues with children playing on the tracks in the past, but was unaware of any recent calls. The tracks are located near several athletic fields.
The teenager has not yet been identified. The investigation into the accident is continuing.
