Teen killed by train where train killed relative in 2010
JUNCTION CITY, Ore. - An Amtrak train hit and killed a teen Saturday night just feet from where one of his relatives was hit and killed by an Amtrak train in 2010.
Police said Julius Schmidt, 14, and two friends were praying at a memorial site where John Muller, a relative of Schmidt's, died in August 2010.
As the passenger train approached at 76 mph, the boys ran across the tracks.
"They were there to pray and to consider what happened to him," Police Chief Mark Chase said. "Unfortunately after that, they heard the train horn and they decided to run out in the track.
"Common sense says its not a good thing," the chief said, "but we’ve all been boys before and done things as juveniles."
Two of the boys made it. Schmidt did not.
Friends on Monday stopped by the memrial for Schmidt that appeared next to the tracks. They said the Oaklea Middle School student loved skateboarding and the music of Bob Marley.
"I was completely devastated. It's horrible," said Dylan Lynn. "I was like, wait - that didn't happen to him. No. I don't believe that."
"He would always make me smile," said Shania Wood. "He was always there for me. He was a really good friend."
Byron Knudtson's business is right in front of the scene of the accident. He said the death is tragic.
"Boy it's a big tragedy to have the kids taken like that," he said. "The whole town feels it."
The middle school had therapy rooms and counselors helping students Monday as they returned to classes.
*facepalm*Â How does it occur to someone to run onto the tracks when the train is coming? Especially when you are there to honor a relative who died doing the exact same thing?!?!Â
The memorial has been moved to the  new skate park in Junction City per the families request so friends/family can go there instead of visiting the tracks. People on here are so judgmental and have no compassion for the family, or the poor conductor.Â
The important thing is that the Union Pacifics head cheeses get their millions on their paychecks this year again and screw the video monitors along the tracks to keep from killing KIDs. May they rot in their trespasser plot.
 @Jon Brawn You have no idea how infeasible that is.
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Souce: CCTV installer
 @Andrew Wilson  @Jon Brawn Oh really ----Hmmm all those white tubes along the RR tracks marking FIBER lines the railroads illegally let the telecom companies use their joint right of ways for wouldn't have Fiber would they? How much info can be put on one fiber strand?
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Or video back fed on the local CATV reverse system on a open channel to the police station ---with cell phones w/loudspeakers on the signal houses.
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The cable company scraped enough analog amplifiers to run 50 railroad security systems
Source : Cable Dawg 35 years
Comments like this make me miss the thumbs down/negative icon.
Sounds like there needs to be a memorial area ( away from the track) created for memorializing those lost. Some place safe. Maybe a bench to sit at. Some place for flowers, skateboards, pics and just things to remind of those lost.