Gaithersburg teen struck, killed by train Saturday afternoon

Monday, Sept. 24, 2007

Gaithersburg teen struck, killed by train Saturday afternoon

by Meghan Tierney | Staff Writer

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A Gaithersburg teen was struck and killed Saturday afternoon by a CSX freight train near the Montgomery County fairgrounds, police said.

William Mensch Stewart, 17, of the 100 block of Floral Drive was struck while crossing the tracks near the unit block of Chestnut Street in Gaithersburg, according to a statement from Montgomery County Police. He was with two friends, police said.

The engineer of the westbound train noticed the three teens attempting to cross the tracks from about 1,000 feet away and sounded the train’s horn several times, police spokeswoman Lucille Baur said Monday.

The friends, a 15-year-old male from Gaithersburg and a 17-year-old female from Olney, successfully crossed, she said. Stewart turned and began walking along the center of the tracks with his back to the 92-car train, Baur said.

The engineer applied the brakes but was unable to stop before striking Stewart, she said. Stewart was pronounced dead at the scene, Baur said.

The train was traveling from Baltimore to Cumberland, police said.

Police received a call about the incident from the county Fire and Rescue Services at about 1:11 p.m., Baur said. She did not know who called 911 or where the teens were going.

Stewart’s death is under investigation by detectives from county police’s Major Crime Division, Baur said.

Fire and Rescue personnel, officers from the county’s 6th District and Gaithersburg police responded to the scene, police said.