An Amtrak train on its way from New York to Florida struck and killed a 13-year-old boy outside of Elkton, Maryland on Sunday. The boy and two of his friends were walking along the tracks Sunday afternoon.

The victim's friends had already crossed the tracks when he was hit by the train. Investigators estimate the train was traveling around 100mph at the time of the incident. It took emergency workers, police, relatives, and nearby residents 20 minutes to find the victim's body.

Though it is illegal, and obviously unsafe, to walk along train tracks, lots of people do it. The law, put in place to cut down on the number of those maimed and killed by trains, is not always enforced. Rail roadways act as a direct route into many communities. They are often safer than walking alongside highways and roads. The difference is that you have a better chance of surviving being hit by a vehicle than you do a train.

Be that as it may, pedestrian accidents involving a train are uncommon, but in some areas of the country where trains tend to rumble through communities with regularity, several accidents may occur every year. People may become complacent when they hear the whistle they've heard so many times before. Crossing the tracks seems second nature after doing it for so long, and since they've never been hurt before, why should these people give any more thought to being struck than they otherwise do?

If you have lost a loved one when they were struck by a train, please contact an experienced pedestrian accident attorney in your area today.