Aug. 26—OAKLEY, CA — A collision between multiple vehicles and a freight train killed a 12-year-old boy and critically injured a 19-year-old girl Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.
At 12:53 p.m., East Contra Costa Fire Protection District firefighters responded to the railroad crossing at East Cypress Road and Main Street for a report of a collision involving a freight train and three vehicles, battalion chief Steve Aubert said.
According to Oakley police who also responded to the scene, one vehicle had overturned, with at least one victim suffering from head trauma and in and out of consciousness.
After firefighters arrived and began assisting, the 12-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. The boy's mother, Melissa Schaefer, spoke to this news organization at the scene and identified him as Joshua Schaefer.
The 19-year-old was flown by REACH medical helicopter to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek and preliminarily listed in critical condition.
The Oakley Union Elementary School District's board of trustees offered "our deepest sympathies to the family, the Delta Vista School community, and school communities throughout the district who are impacted by the tragedy that occurred earlier today," an e-mailed statement read in part Wednesday night. "The district's crisis management team is providing counseling and bereavement support services, on-site, to our students and staff to help everyone cope with the events of today."
This is the second train-vehicle collision East Contra Costa firefighters have responded to within a week, after an Amtrak train out of Stockton struck a semi tractor-trailer at an Orwood Road crossing just after 2:45 p.m. last Friday. That truck's driver escaped with minor injury, while no one aboard the train was injured.
Oakley police will handle an initial investigation into the incident with help from other agencies.
Staff photographer Ray Chavez and staff writer Judith Prieve contributed to this report. Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180
___
(c)2021 the Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.)
Visit the Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.) at www.eastbaytimes.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
