Evansville teen wearing ear buds killed by freight train

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) – Authorities say an Evansville teen has died after being struck from behind by a freight train.

The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office says 15-year-old Zachariah M. McFarland died in the incident about 7 a.m. EDT Wednesday.

Sheriff Dave Wedding says a CSX conductor and engineer noticed the Evansville Central High School student on the tracks and sounded the train’s horn several times, but McFarland was wearing ear buds and apparently didn’t hear the approaching train.

Wedding says in a news release that parents should talk to their children about the dangers of trespassing on railroad property and the importance of avoiding the distractions of portable electronics.