Disabled Teen Hit By Train Dies

The Autism News | English

By Sharon Osorio | WKBW – TV Buffalo, New York

Anthony Fracassi, 15, of Buffalo, died Friday after sustaining injuries when he was struck by a train in the City of Tonawanda Tuesday. Fracassi had been in critical condition a the trauma unit of ECMC with several fractures.

A statement by City of Tonawanda Police reads, “On Friday, the victim’s family mad the difficult decision to remove him from life support.”

Fracassi was participating in a Challenged Athletes Participating In Sports, or CAPS, baseball game near Main and Fuller Streets in the City of Tonawanda. He and another housemate from the same group home were being supervised by two staff members from People Inc.

The teen reportedly wandered up a hill to the nearby train tracks.  The engineer and the conductor told police that they had rounded the bend and noticed someone between the tracks. They blew the whistle to alert him to move, but police say the crew felt that blowing the whistle attracted him closer to the train. He was struck by the train.

Fifteen minutes after Fracassi’s supervisors noticed the teen was missing, someone noticed that a train on the nearby tracks was stopped. They found crews responding to the injured teen. Police say the criminal investigation is closed, and no charges are being filed. City of Tonawanda Detective Tim Toth says this incident was a series of unfortunate events.

People, Inc., and CAPS, Inc., were also both conducting internal investigations.

Source: http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/49390747.html

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