In a tragic turn of events that unfolded in mere seconds, three family members were struck and killed by a high-speed Amtrak train while a police officer was rushing to warn them of the danger.
At a Glance
- Three adult family members were struck and killed by an Amtrak train in Bristol, Pennsylvania on Thursday evening
- Police were responding to reports of people on the tracks when the accident occurred
- The area where the victims accessed the tracks was not fenced off, unlike the opposite side
- This is the second pedestrian fatality involving an Amtrak train in Bucks County this week
Another Senseless Tragedy on America’s Railways
Another day in America, another tragedy that didn’t need to happen. Three men from the same family were instantly killed Thursday evening when an Amtrak train barreling from Boston to Richmond couldn’t stop in time to avoid striking them near the Bristol train station in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The incident occurred shortly before 6 p.m. near Prospect and Beaver streets, an area that — surprise, surprise — lacks proper safety fencing on one side of the tracks.
Watch coverage here of tragic collision.
What makes this situation particularly gut-wrenching is that police were literally racing against time to prevent this exact outcome. Officers had received reports of individuals on the tracks and were approaching the scene when the Acela high-speed train came thundering through. Bristol Borough Police Chief Joe Moors, who confirmed the fatalities, described what happened in stark terms that leave little room for interpretation.
Infrastructure Failure or Personal Responsibility?
Let’s talk about the elephant on the tracks: why wasn’t this section properly secured? According to reports, the area where these men accessed the tracks had no fencing whatsoever, while the opposite side was properly cordoned off. It’s these kinds of half-measures and patchwork safety implementations that lead to preventable tragedies. The 236 passengers and crew aboard Train 85 were physically unharmed, but I can only imagine the psychological trauma of witnessing such an event.
“When our officers arrived, the sergeant was starting to head up to the subjects up on the railroad tracks when an Accela high-speed train traveling southbound towards Philadelphia struck all three subjects that were up on the track” said Chief Joe Moors of the Bristol Borough Police Department.
Witnesses reported a disturbing sequence of events: first, a young male was spotted on the tracks, followed by an older male, and then a third male who apparently attempted to help. Was this a rescue attempt gone horribly wrong? Were family members trying to save one another? While the names haven’t been released, these questions haunt the incident and speak to the split-second decisions that can end in disaster.
A Pattern of Railway Deaths
This isn’t an isolated incident, folks. This marks the second pedestrian fatality involving an Amtrak train in Bucks County this week alone. Earlier, another person was struck and killed near Cornwells Heights Station. At what point do we recognize there’s a systematic problem here? Is it too much to ask that our rail infrastructure, which moves at lethal speeds through populated areas, be properly secured from end to end instead of this haphazard approach that leaves deadly gaps?
“This is a horrifying tragedy.” said Moors.
Following the incident, Amtrak halted all rail traffic between New York and Philadelphia, causing massive disruptions for countless travelers. Service eventually resumed with restricted speeds by late evening, and SEPTA’s Trenton Line was back in operation by 11:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Amtrak police have taken the lead on investigating the incident, working with the Bristol Township Police Department to piece together exactly what happened in those fateful moments.
