Six-year-old autistic boy killed by train

March 30, 2011

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From: AAP March 30, 2011 11:16PM

A SIX-YEAR-OLD autistic boy has been killed by a train south of Melbourne after

going missing from his home.

The train hit the boy as he wandered onto the tracks at 7.25pm (AEDT) today.

A relative of the boy reported him missing at 7pm, but police say he was gone

from his home from 6pm.

About 275 passengers were onboard the V/Line Melbourne to Warrnambool service

when the incident occurred in Norlane, in regional Geelong.

The driver was composed as he told passengers the train had hit someone.

One man told passengers he heard the train hit something, but people remained

calm as emergency service crews worked on the tracks, a passenger told AAP.

V/Line staff also moved throughout the carriages asking passengers if they felt

sick or distressed as details of the accident emerged on the internet.

Passengers waited on the train for an hour before the train continued to Geelong

station, where they were unloaded onto coaches.

V/Line spokesman Moloney said the driver watched helplessly as the train

hit the boy.

" He's been confronted with the horrific situation of seeing the boy by himself

on the tracks and being powerless to do anything about it except hit the

emergency brakes, " Mr Moloney said.

" The train involved was one of the older style locomotives pulling five

carriages.

" The locomotive itself weighs 120 tonnes and at that speed it takes a few

hundred metres to pull up. "

Police searched Geelong's northern suburbs when the boy was reported missing

from his Corio home.

The boy was struck in the city's industrial suburbs, with few houses nearby.

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