Police say a 17 year old  teenage girl has been struck and killed by a train in Central Illinois—this time in Mattoon—marking yet another incident in just the past 30 days.  Six people so far have been involved in train/pedestrian hits. 

The incident took place on North 15 Street and Piatt Avenue in Mattoon. Ed Schniers, the Coles County Coroner, says the death has been ruled a suicide. 

With the rising number of train-related incidents, officials are urging the public to be more aware around railroad tracks. Illinois consistently ranks among the top states in the country for rail fatalities, and safety advocates say even one incident is too many.

In 2023, Illinois reported 102 train collisions, resulting in 18 fatalities and 22 injuries. Illinois ranked sixth in the United States for overall railroad incidents in 2023. 

Union Pacific and Operation Lifesaver stress the importance of staying alert, avoiding distractions like phones or headphones, and never trying to beat a train at a crossing. Trains can take over a mile to stop and may be quieter than people realize until it’s too late.

They also remind residents that walking on or along railroad tracks is considered trespassing and is both dangerous and illegal.

With summer approaching and more people out walking, safety experts are asking everyone to take train tracks seriously—and treat them like the high-speed danger zones they are.  For more information on train safety, visit https://oli.org/.