Kyle teen dies in train track accident

KYLE, Texas (KXAN) - A 16-year-old boy in Kyle died Wednesday morning after being struck by a train.

Officials said Ramon Eric Zapata was walking northbound on the tracks just after 9 a.m. when he was hit by the train, also heading in the same direction.

The Kyle Police and Kyle Fire departments both responded to the accident that happened on the train tracks about one-quarter of a mile south of Downtown Kyle. Zapata died at the scene.

The train engineer told offiicals the train’s horn was sounded repeatedly and that Zapata initially stepped off the tracks but then stepped back on and was struck.

City of Kyle officials said the victim recently moved back to Kyle to live with his grandparents after a two-year stay with his mother in California. He was not currently enrolled in school in Texas. There is no indication that the incident is anything other than a tragic accident.

Officials are reminding people to stay safe by avoiding walking along train tracks, adding that it is also against the law to walk on the tracks.