Pennsylvania Train Accident: 15-Year-Old Girl Dead, Another Teen Injured, Investigation Underway

A teenage girl was killed and another was injured in a train accident in South Fayette Township, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday (June 24).

According to the Allegheny County Police Department, a group of students from the South Fayette Township School District was walking along the elevated tracks heading in the direction of Bridgeville when the speeding train approached them.

Officials from the South Fayette Township Police and Southbridge Emergency Medical Services, along with first responders, arrived at the scene after receiving reports of a fatal train accident.

A 15-year-old girl, identified as Julianna Gennaro of Morgan Township, was fatally struck and found dead.

A 17-year-old girl, whose identity was unknown, managed to jump out of the way and cling on to the side of the bridge. According to police, a construction worker doing some paving work nearby spotted the teen dangling by the bridge and pulled her to safety.

“I got onto the railroad tracks. There was another boy standing there holding onto his friend for dear life. He couldn’t pull her up by himself so I reached for her hand, picked her up off the side of the railroad track,” the worker told CBSN Pittsburgh.

The girl was later rushed to a nearby hospital. She suffered injuries to her leg. No updates were available about her current condition.

An unidentified teenage boy miraculously escaped the accident. According to South Fayette Police Chief John Phoennik, the boy shouted “train” before acting instinctively and lying flat on the tracks while the train passed over him. He survived the incident with no injuries.

Phoennik said the department is constantly requesting people to avoid walking on the train trestle. The South Fayette School District acknowledged the incident and released a statement Wednesday afternoon.

"With heavy hearts, we know that this loss will raise many emotions, concerns, and questions for our entire community, especially our students and staff," Superintendent Kenneth Lockette said in a statement.

Investigators were interviewing multiple witnesses, including a 14-year-old girl, a 15-year-old boy, and a 17-year-old boy who were with the victims at the time of the incident.

This was an ongoing investigation.