MELBOURNE, Fla. --
Melbourne police said a train struck and killed three girls on the Crane Creek trestle bridge Saturday night.
Melbourne fire and police departments received phone calls just before 6:30 p.m. reporting that there were young people who had been walking on the bridge and one call reporting that a child had fallen into the creek.
Investigation revealed that a boy and three girls had been walking southbound across the bridge, near New Haven and Prospect avenues.
Police said the boy crossed the bridge ahead of the girls, saw the southbound Florida East Coast Railway train heading toward them and tried to warn the girls. None of the three were able to get to safety before they were fatally struck, police said.
The names of the victims have not yet been released, pending notification of next of kin.
Christine Davis, of Brevard County Public Schools, would not say what schools the victims attended. She said BCPS will make grief counselors available to affected students.
Friends of the victims, however, said the girls attended Southwest Middle School in Palm Bay.
Community members were in shock after hearing about the incident and said they are lending support to the victims' families.
"You could see it, you could feel it when the parents and family was getting there. You couldn't help but your heart would ache for those people," said Dawn Lambert.
A friend of the victims described how she felt when someone told her the news.
"I said, 'Are they OK?' And he said, 'It's not good.' I was waiting for somebody to say it was a joke," said Tiffany Cox, who knew the victims since childhood. Cox said she and her mother visited the victims' families Saturday night.
"Your heart breaks when you walk into their homes," said Pattie Cox. "It's a heartbreaking experience. I cannot believe this happened to these three girls because they are such good girls and it's just an honest, tragic mistake."
"I can't believe they are gone. One minute you see them. It wasn't even 48 hours ago that I saw them," Tiffany Cox said.
The case is being investigated by the MPD and FEC Railway Police. At this time, it is unknown why the juveniles were walking on the train tracks, officials said.
Melbourne firefighters and police searched the area, with the help of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office helicopter and the Melbourne Beach Volunteer Fire Department's Water Rescue Unit.
Melbourne Train Crash Map-80.7121678371222528.2427759388835041522626963
The FEC said railroad properties should only be crossed at designated pedestrian or roadway crossings.
“We are deeply saddened by what’s happened. Our sympathies go out to our train-service colleagues and to everyone involved in the incident,” said Jeff Geary, FEC vice president. “This tragedy serves as an unfortunate reminder of the need for the public to respect the dangers presented by railroad tracks and operations. For public-safety reasons we urge people not to trespass on railroad property.”
The FEC urged citizens to report trespassers on FEC rail property by calling 800-342-1131.
Train Hits, Kills 3 Girls In Melbourne
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