EAST CHICAGO | An 8-year-old East Chicago boy died Saturday afternoon after being struck by a westbound train in the area of Magoun Avenue and Lewis Place, according to police.
The boy, whose identity is being withheld pending notification of his family, was waiting with other kids for an eastbound train to pass when he was struck at 3:15 p.m., East Chicago police Sgt. Detective Jose Rivera said.
"They were too close to the tracks," he said.
The boy was pronounced dead at 3:28 p.m. from blunt force trauma, according to the Lake County coroner's office.
There are multiple tracks in the area of the accident, which is one block west of Indianapolis Boulevard. The signals at that crossing were working, Rivera said.
None of the other young people was injured, he said.
At least two other people have been killed in Lake County this year while walking on or near railroad tracks.
A 29-year-old Gary man died from injuries he suffered after being struck by a train Dec. 8 in the 900 block of Wallace Street in Gary.
A 15-year-old Hanover Central High School student was struck and killed by a train May 23 near 133rd Avenue in Cedar Lake. The girl reportedly had headphones in her ears and didn't hear an oncoming train.
Please Wait…