Two 16-year-olds fatally struck by train after walking on tracks, Arkansas police say

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 lying on the side of the tracks. The other teen was found under the train, the police department told USA TODAY. 

Police identified them as Liam Harrison and Charlie Elliott, both 16. 

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 the result of a highway-rail impact, according the FRA.

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

• 2023: 4 deaths, 19 injuries
• 2022: 55 deaths, 247 injuries
• 2021: 43 deaths, 240 injuries
• 2020: 39 deaths, 194 injuries
• 2019: 63 deaths, 260 injuries

According to Operation Lifesaver, an organization that promotes rail safety, trains are quieter and faster than people think.