Residents call for more safety measures after student walking to school killed by train in SE Houston

HOUSTON, Texas – A Houston Independent School District student died Monday after being hit by a train in southeast Houston.

Residents and parents who live nearby tell KPRC 2 it’s not uncommon for students to cross the train tracks despite it being dangerous.

ORIGINAL STORY: Milby High School student hit and killed by train while walking to school

The incident happened at 2000 Broadway St. near Galveston Rd. a little after 7:30 a.m. when the student was walking to school and attempted to cross in front of the moving Union Pacific train. Police said the train was in motion, traveling at a slow speed, when the teen was hit and killed. They also added that the railroad crossing lights and arms worked properly.

Authorities said the incident was accidental and no foul play was involved.

However, for some lifelong Houstonians, it’s been like this for years. Even KPRC 2’s Bill Barajas has family who graduated from Milby High School and had to cross the train tracks just to get to school.

MORE: Dangerous railroad tracks in SE Houston where student was killed by train have always been a problem

Residents say it’s been just as dangerous as it was back then as it is now and tragically claimed a 15-year-old’s life.

“I live in the second house over and yes they’re always crossing when it’s stopped like this, they’re always cross the train,” resident Daniel Perez told KPRC 2.

“It’s dangerous for our kids, they have to put more security I think,” Vanessa Valdez, another resident, said.

The 10th-grade student’s identity has not been released, and he has only been described by investigators as a 15-year-old boy.

“I had dropped my son off yesterday. It could have been my son too,” mother Bocanegra said.

Despite Houston police saying the train was moving at a slow speed and the crossing lights working properly, parents said the crossing is dangerous.

“It needs to be addressed because it should have never happened,” Bocanegra said.

KPRC 2 has since reached out to HISD to see if any safety precautions have been added to help students get safely across train tracks. They tell us they have two HISD police officers out every morning at the crossing. They say they continue to work with and call on government agencies and railroad companies to prioritize safety. The district did say they have a crisis response team at Milby High School to help students and staff if needed.

Both Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia and County Commissioner Adrian Garcia have called for something to be done following this accident. See their statements below:

Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia:

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic death of a student near Milby High School this morning. My heart goes out to the family, friends, and community as they grieve this devastating loss. Please keep them in your prayers.

“I am closely monitoring the situation and have been in contact with Mayor Whitmire and officials at the local, state, and federal levels, including the Federal Railroad Administration. “I am calling for a full investigation to understand what led to this tragedy and to identify ways to enhance safety in our communities.

“As always, I urge everyone to prioritize safety and stay vigilant near railways and crossings.”

Commissioner Adrian Garcia:

“We are grieving the death of a young man in Precinct 2– a Milby High School student whose death this morning was related to one of the many train lines in Houston’s East End. As Commissioner for Precinct 2, I am all too familiar with the dangers associated with these train tracks, which fuel the regional economy but too often put the health and safety of East End residents at risk. That is why I have prioritized partnering with the City and federal government to build new grade separations to create a safer environment. It is critical that all partners, including METRO, make the investments necessary to, as much as possible, reduce the burden East End residents bear in holding up our region.”