Oklahoma Teen Following Skateboarding Friend Dies At Union Pacific Crossing
(Claremore, Oklahoma — April 15, 2012)
A 16-year-old running after his 18-year-old skateboarding friend died Sunday night about 9:30 P.M. when he followed his friend across Union Pacific Railroad tracks on 7th Street in Claremore, OK and was struck by a Union Pacific freight train.
The crossing is equipped with both lights and gates, but the proper function of the devices had yet to be determined. Nearly two dozen trains use the crossing daily. The train struck the boy and threw him a considerable distance from the crossing.
The victim, Christian Brashar, a freshman at Claremore High School, was rushed to Hillcrest Claremore Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. His family, who live near the deadly crossing, was very distraught and requested that police not release his name immediately.
Claremore Police, the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol all investigated the tragic incident.
