(The following story was circulated by The Associated Press on October 6, 2010.)
FRESNO, Calif. — A 12-year-old boy has died after authorities say he tried to beat a freight train across the tracks.
Daniel Madsen was struck and killed by a Burlington Northern-Santa Fe train as he walked to school Tuesday morning.
The Fresno County coroner’s office says the seventh-grader at Wawona Middle School was struck as he, his sister and another girl ran across the tracks in front of the approaching train. The girls weren’t hurt.
Authorities say the crossing arms had been lowered and the train’s horn had sounded as a warning before the accident.
A crisis team was sent to the school.
The Fresno Bee says the accident occurred at the same crossing where a 13-year-old boy was killed last year when he tried to run in front of a train.