Arkansas teens killed after being hit by train while on tracks: Police

Two Arkansas teenagers were killed Saturday after a train hit them while they were walking on the tracks near a park, authorities said.

The Cabot Police Department responded to a call at around 7:30 p.m. local time after a strike indicator was triggered on a Union Pacific train, which caused it to stop.

Police searched the area and found one of the teens laying on the side of the tracks. The other teen was found under the train, the police department told USA TODAY.

Police identified the teens as Liam Harrison and Charlie Elliott, both 16 years old.

According to police, a witness said the teens saw a train coming on the southbound tracks so they moved to the northbound tracks, but a northbound train was also approaching.

“There are no designated railroad crossings in this area,” police said.

Train accidents: Deaths and injuries per year

According to the Federal Railroad Administration, four people have been killed and 19 people have been injured by trains in 2023. All four of the deaths were due to highway-rail impact, according the FRA.

Here are the number of train deaths and injuries by year, per the FRA:

In 2023, there were 4 deaths and 19 injuries.
In 2022, there were 55 deaths and 247 injuries.
In 2021, there were 43 deaths and 240 injuries.
In 2020, there were 39 deaths and 194 injuries.
In 2019, there were 63 deaths and 260 injuries.

USA TODAY

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