A 5-year-old boy died and an adult relative was injured Wednesday afternoon when their vehicle tried to drive around a lowered railroad crossing gate and was struck by a Trinity Railway Express commuter train, police said.
The crash occurred shortly before 4 p.m. at the crossing near Elliot Reeder Road and Colony Court on the city’s east side.
Fort Worth police said the driver attempted to pass the activated barricade just as the eastbound TRE train approached. The child was pronounced dead at the scene.
The adult was taken to a hospital; officials later described the injuries as non-life-threatening.
No one aboard the train was hurt.
Trinity Metro and Dallas Area Rapid Transit suspended TRE service in the area and ran shuttle buses between Trinity Lakes and Fort Worth Central stations until the tracks were cleared around 10 p.m.The intersection is along a busy stretch of the commuter line between Fort Worth and Dallas.
Authorities have not released the names of the victims and continue to investigate why the driver went around the gate.