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Abingdon Teen Killed by Amtrak Train

A 13-year old Abingdon boy died Monday night after he was struck by an Amtrak train.


Abingdon Police Chief Fred Andrews identified the victim as Shawn Garzee, who was trying to cross the tracks at Sanitary Road near Jefferson Street just before 9:00 p.m. Authorities say Garzee and a cousin were riding bicycles and towing a go-cart that didn't run with a rope, when the go-cart got stuck on the tracks.


Andrews says Garzee got off of his bike and was hit by the train as he tried to dislodge the go-cart. The cousin, a male who police didn't identify, was not hurt. Knox County coroner Mark Thomas pronounced Garzee dead at the scene.


Andrews says the train, which was on its way to Quincy from Galesburg, sat idle on the tracks for about three hours. The chief says there were around 160 people on the train, and officials closed off the area to traffic while authorities investigated the accident.


Andrews, who says the railroad crossing gates were working, called the accident an unfortunate situation in which a young man made a bad decision.


Abingdon police were assisted at the scene by investigators from the Knox County Sheriff's Department and the railroad, along with the Abingdon Fire Department.

05 27 08 by Newsroom
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