A 15-year-old student from Milby High School was struck and killed by a train near the school's campus on Monday morning, a sobering incident that has brought renewed attention to the dangers faced by many students who navigate the intersection of urban infrastructure and educational routes in East Houston. According to FOX 7 Austin, the student, who was a football player at Milby, attempted to cross in front of an oncoming train and was hit around 7:30 a.m.
Houston Police Department's Sgt. Bill Elsbury described the event as "just a tragic accident," with no indications of foul play found at the scene. The railroad crossing gates where the accident occurred were reported to be working at the time; however, concern has been expressed by the community over the tendency of students to crawl over or under stopped trains, this being a manifestation of a longstanding problem in the area. "It's terrible. I mean, anytime we lose a child or juvenile, I can't imagine anything worse," Sgt. Elsbury conveyed to FOX 7 Austin in an interview.
Amid the outpouring of grief and concern, calls for infrastructure improvements, such as building a bridge or adjusting the train schedules around school hours, have been made by bereaved community members witnessing the incident, Veronica, a sophomore at Milby High School, said "I did know him since middle school. He was a sweet boy, stayed out of trouble. He was in football, was good at it," according to FOX 7 Austin.
Statements urging for action came from various levels of government as State Rep. Christina Morales, Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia and Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia have all emphasized the urgency for enhanced safety measures, Congresswoman Garcia expressed her sadness and called for a full investigation in a statement "I am closely monitoring the situation and have been in contact with Mayor Whitmire and officials at the local, state, and federal levels, including the Federal Railroad Administration," as reported by FOX 7 Austin. Meanwhile, an Houston Chronicle report highlighted the longstanding issue of train tracks near schools and the repeated injuries and at least one fatality in the past decades related to train crossings.
The Houston Independent School District has activated a crisis response team to provide support, including counseling, for those affected by the tragedy, according to statements from HISD.
