FREMONT, Ohio (AP) — Two women and a 5-year-old girl died after a train struck the family members while they were on a railroad bridge over a northern Ohio river, authorities said Monday.
Crews equipped with sonar had been scouring the Sandusky River through the night before they found the girl’s body Monday near the bridge, said Fremont Mayor Danny Sanchez.
The family from Fort Wayne, Indiana, had been on a fishing trip along the Sandusky River, and they were on the bridge Sunday night when the train came onto the span, Sanchez said. A 1-year-old girl was rescued and being treated at a hospital, he said.
It’s not clear whether the train hit all four or whether some may have jumped or were thrown into the river to avoid the locomotive, Sanchez said.
The details of what happened were still under investigation, Sanchez said.
The railroad bridge is not meant for pedestrians and was marked with no trespassing signs, the mayor said. He said he did not think the family was fishing off the bridge at the time the train approached.
The two women who died were a mother and her adult daughter, the mayor said.
Rail operator Norfolk Southern said in a statement that the company was deeply saddened by the tragedy and is working with authorities on the investigation.
