Schools

NJ Transit to Offer Programs, Outreach for Those Affected By Train Incidents

NJ Transit will reach out to Long Branch Schools to arrange education of train safety

In the wake of two incidents involving trains in the last few days, NJ Transit will be reaching out to Long Branch schools to set up a program to teach students about railroad safety.

NJ Transit is performing the outreach following the death of 17-year-old Long Branch resident Christian Butler, who was stuck by a train while lying on the tracks near Chelsea Avenue on Friday, and the injury to a 15-year-old Long Branch boy on Monday who had his hand pinned under a train south of Cedar Avenue on Tuesday.

NJ Transit spokesman Dan Stessel said the rail-line offers a program where it sends safety representatives to schools all around the state to talk about railroad safety and not trespassing on train tracks. 

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Stessel said no specific time for such an event has been scheduled, but that NJ Transit was planning on  reaching out to the schools soon.

Although Butler was lying on the tracks at the time of his death, Stessel said it still too early to identify the incident as a possible suicide. However, NJ Transit is still planning on reaching out to a suicide prevention group.

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"Obviously, suicides are difficult to prevent," Stessel said. "But we are actively engaged with a suicide prevention group in the Monmouth County area, and we are meeting with them to go over this latest incident."

When asked for comment, the Monmouth County Medical Examiner's office said Butler's death is still "pending further investigation" and that it could take weeks before a ruling is made.

Stessel said NJ Transit is also offering an Employee Assistance Program for the engineers and conductors involved in the incidents.

"Incidents like this can be very traumatic, especially for the engineers," Stessel said. "They do everything they can to prevent it from happening."


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