A teenage boy is dead after he was hit and killed by a New Jersey Transit train in Burlington County early Thursday morning. Police say he was trying to cross the tracks when he was hit. NBC10’s Leah Uko has the latest.
A teenager was killed after being hit by an NJ Transit train on Thursday, Aug. 8 in Burlington County, according to officials with the transit agency.
A River LINE train was traveling northbound at Chestnut Street in Palmyra around 8:19 a.m. when it struck the teen who was crossing and killed him, officials said.
Police in Palmyra taped off part of Broad Street for several hours while authorities investigated.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
The 28 riders and the operator of the train were not hurt in the incident, NJ Transit said.
River LINE service is running again between Cinnaminson and Route 73 with 30-minute delays in both directions.
"It was just in the air. I just heard it in the air. You know what I mean? I just heard somebody say somebody got hit," Lonnie Torres, who lives nearby, said.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Palmyra Borough posted to its Facebook account that the victim was a 15-year-old student athlete.
Palmyra High School soccer and wrestling students spoke with NBC10 and identified him as Matthew Dickinson.
Many described him as a great friend, teammate and student.
"I send my condolences to him and his family. And I’m sorry. God bless you guys, I’ll say a prayer for you," Torres said.
Neighbors are expressing concerns about safety on the tracks that are by many homes.
One resident, Jeffery, told us, "Sometimes the light don’t work. Sometimes the railing don’t work. The railings that’s coming down, sometimes they get stuck and take an hour to get fixed.”
Police with NJ Transit are investigating.
This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.
