Monroe police are investigating what led up to a deadly crash in which a BNSF freight train hit and killed a 15-year-old boy on the tracks yesterday afternoon.
The incident happened around 4 p.m. at the train tracks near North Kelsey Street and U.S. 2.
Police say the conductor saw the teen on the tracks but couldn't stop in time. They're still investigating why the teen was on the tracks in the first place.
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Family friends of the victim identified him as 15-year-old Wesley Donohue and said he had just started his sophomore year at Monroe High School.
"Wesley should still be here. He was an amazing young man, and the world suffered a massive loss," said Kerri Arellano, a family friend. "He had a very kind and big heart, he was just a very good kid. This is a tragedy."
The intersection is a busy one, with pedestrians frequently crossing the tracks to access shops on the other side.
Sophia Peterson was nearby when the crash happened.
“I heard the train slamming on the breaks. I was confused, I was like, 'Is it trying to stop?' It sounded really violent. And then when I came over here to the intersection, I saw police cars and police tape, and I got just a sick feeling,” Peterson said.
Monroe police spokeswoman Debbie Willis said on Saturday there was a group of about five teens at the intersection when the crash happened.
Willis said there are conflicting reports on why Donohue was on the tracks when the eastbound train came. She said detectives will be re-interviewing witnesses.
The tragedy has the Donohue community mourning. By Saturday, there were flowers on both side of the train tracks – the beginnings of a memorial for Donohue.
“It was just heartbreaking, because such an unfortunate accident, such a young kid,” Peterson said.
Family friends are devastated.
“Watching a beautiful human being like my best friend Ginger go through the loss of her only child, who was a magnificent human being. There’s no words for it. I can’t fix it, there’s nothing that I can do, and it kills me,” Arellano said.
She said Ginger was a single mom and she has started a GoFundMe to help the family with funeral expenses.
Cox Media Group
