LAPORTE, Ind. -- A 12-year-old boy grounded for devouring cookies intended for a family gathering was supposed to stay in his bedroom and think about what he had done. Instead, he sneaked outside to a nearby train station, hopped onto an Amtrak train and hung onto the outside of a passenger car for more than 30 miles before getting off. The boy was not arrested because Amtrak officials did not want to press charges, and the focus was reuniting the boy with his mother, LaPorte County Police spokesman Gary Brolin said. The mother, Maria Kellybrew, was trying to find her son in Elkhart when she was notified Saturday that he had been found OK in LaPorte County. "I was glad God blessed him to be all right," said Kellybrew, who did not want to embarrass her son by releasing his name. She said she sent him to his bedroom Saturday morning after he had eaten all the cookies his aunt had brought for a family gathering. The boy was told to stay in the bedroom until his mother returned from the grocery store, but he instead walked to Elkhart's train station near his home. While a train bound for Chicago made a regular stop, the boy climbed onto a step on the outside of a private passenger car, wrapped both hands around a guard rail and hung on as the train left the station. The train crossed St. Joseph County before entering LaPorte County, where the conductor was alerted by passengers in the private car who saw a boy hanging onto the side of the train, a police report said. When the train reached its next stop northeast of the city of LaPorte, the boy got off the train. He did not tell authorities where he was going, but said he was running away because of problems with his mother. The boy was taken to the sheriff's department, where his mother picked him up. Amtrak spokesman Howard Riefs did not know how fast the train was traveling during the boy's journey, but said the route's maximum speed is 79 mph. Kellybrew said her son did not talk much about the ride, but admitted he had been scared. Kellybrew suggested punishment wasn't her son's sole motivation for hitting the rails. He's had a tough time competing for attention with a newborn sister. "If he does something good for a couple of days he can have his privileges back," Kellybrew said.
I got some photos of the remains of dead ex-riders I would like to show him while I explained how close to death he came! "Somebody" failed to warn him about trains, planes, trucks, and ships!
For this kid to devour by himself what was intended to be shared by the family indicates that he's a rather selfish person. But to top it off by disobedience and then a life threatening ride? It's time he was put in the shop to have a much higher wattage bulb installed. Obviously, what he's using now is rather dim when it comes to being thoughtful and exhibiting some common sense. BoxcabE50
Saying that kid was lucky is an under statement. Wow. Maybe it scared the pants off of him and he'll think twice before he does that again. I have no idea what it would be like to hang on the outside of a car doing 79mph.
The kid was damn lucky. I have a 14 yr old and a 10 yr old. You try to bring 'em up right teach them right from wrong and hope to God that your influence is stronger than the stuff they see in movies, television, peers and video games. No I am not making excuses, but case in point look at this new kid's basketball movie where a kid gets a pair of sneakers off a live electrical wire. What moron thought of that story line? Just my two cents.
Hanging on for dear life at 79 MPH? If he ever let go at speed- can you say "hamburger"? (deleted a reference to a link to a website, but that website's a bit too gruesome- even for some adults) Sounds like a little counseling is needed here... notice I didn't say what kind, as I'm leaving that open to interpretation. [ 12 July 2002, 03:11: Message edited by: friscobob ]
The mother didn't want the kids name released for fear of embarassing him?!!! They should make him the poster child of the next operation lifesaver event! Granted, kids do dumb things but that is beyond dumb. Probably didn't even get a good home cooked butt whipping because they didn't want to hurt him either! Russ
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is just one more example of one of the "Good Kids" in America. They're all "Good Kids"...When will our parents open their eyes and realize they have been fostering bad parenting? But if we blame the parents, then we are placing blame. And we cannot blame the railroad because, well, that railing needs to be there, and what conductor will be looking out each individual window looking for a tiny person hiding on a railing? Guess it also shows how solid those little railings are. Our parents have underestimated our children for far too long. Ever hear in believeing that aliens or a super race built the pyramids? Most of that is because some people are too afraid to admit that the human needs no complicated tools or complicated laws or complicated what not to accomplish and achieve ANYTHING Here a little child was sent to his room for eating ALL the cookies...little ***** deserved to be sent there, sounds like a spoiled brat. How does he go and take his punishment? He blames his parents and runs away. But now, he can blame them for something completely irrelevent to the fact that he ate all the cookies, and now everybody concentrates on the act of riding a railing for 30 miles and his lack of social sharing skills. Sounds to me this little twerp needed to be riding that railing straight to a night in a police station cell for endangering his own life. Only solution now is Kid needs some counseling from a counselor that won't sit there and say, "Aww gee, I'm sorry about that" and more like "Come on now, when are you going to get a little self control and responsibility into you, you aren't 5 years old anymore!" But of course, that isn't politically Correct, that whole part of responsibility...guess it's one more Brick in the Wall [ 15 July 2002, 21:38: Message edited by: Benny ]
Yesterday a 12 year old climbed through a fence by the Long Island Railroad and was juiced when he hit the third rail. Did his parents tell him to stay away from the railroad? Guess no one will ever know the truth now. This stuff must be taught in all classrooms at an early age. The deaths are never ending.
Johnny, Where along the ROW did this happen? I did not hear about this. There are several "open" access points along the Montauk branch by me and I am constantly warning the local kids. Russ
This brat is disgusting! I grew up in the days when there was no such thing as politically correct anything! Children minded their parents wheather they wanted to or not! If the kid did something at a neighbor's house, the neighbor whupped the kid's butt then dragged the kid hjome, and the father whupped the kid's butt again! If that kid kept on getting in trouble, someone eventually took the kid hunting. You people have been weened on "Don't hurt little Clyde's feelings" he has RIGHTS! Poppy Cock! This nation was founded on Bible laws! God told the Jews how to raise their children and it is to be an example for gentiles too! He said, "IF A CHILD IS NOT UNDER THE PARENT'S CONTROL BY THE AGE OF TWELVE, TAKE THAT CHILD OUT AND STONE IT TO DEATH!" When I was a boy, I knew that if I didn't mind, or did something stupid, my Dad was going to wear my hide out! And he did everytime I deserved it! There never was a cop kicking in my mother's door looking for drugs or loot! It never even entered my mind to raise my hand to my Dad either! If that little brat had of been my brother, my Momma would have told him to stay away from the cookies, and that would have been all there was to that! Even at school we learned. Teacher brought some home made fudge, one piece for each of us. One (bully) kid took two pieces, and the teacher caught him. She took her doubled up fist and pounded his hand flat on his desk top. He couldn't write for several days, and he got a whuppin up front of the class for every day he did not have his homework to turn in. He also got a whuppin at home because the teacher went to the house and told his mom. He grew up to be a good kid eventually. I heard of another bully that went hunting with some men one day, and died of an accidental gun shot. (Once with a shotgun, and several times with a rifle.) It wasn't even in the papers, and a very quiet word went around through us kids. I guarantee you we got the point: Our folks aren't going to put up with any foolishness from us. Young men took orders from their Dads until they were up in their twenties, and by then they didn't need to, they volunteered to help out! Now days kids only want to play computer games and expect their parents to give them $40K cars to get to school and impress the girls with. And for what? What is it that makes today's kid worth all that? He does no work, earns no money legally, and shows no respexct to his parents or anyone else, and shoots at cops. I do not understand why the cops don't simply drop the brat in his tracks instead of chasing him all over town endangering people who are worth keeping safe. Drop his worthless butt down a mine shaft and walk away! You may cast your vote for my party if you like, but I am not running for office, I am too hair triggered for that today! (I would, however, make a very good west Texas Sheriff!)
Watash, if you were running for sheriff, I'd help in your campaign, and gladly volunteer to be a deputy! I'm only 45 years old, but I was raised the old-fashioned way. I got punished for doing wrong, and rewarded for doing right. I know all about being paddled- my Dad's favorite motivational speech was "Where's that belt?!?!?" I guarantee you, when he came back with it, all he saw were rear ends & elbows! My Mom's 5 feet-nothing standing straight up, but she has enough of Grandpa Hollingsworth in her that she took no crap from us kids. Now she was tender when she had to be, but she was tough when it mattered. And she takes no crap off her grandchildren, either- but she loves each and every one of them. Dad was the same way. You don't have to preach old school to me- I'm a graduate and believer in firm discipline. And the last time a cop came to MY door, I hadn't answered the call from the hospital I was working at, and they came to wake me up! Saddle 'em up, Watash- I'm ready to ride!
On second thought, here's Dead Train Bums - show that little twerp some of those pictures, and after he finishes tossing his cookies, he'll think twice about hopping ANY trains! (And yes, the pictures are pretty graphic, and gruesome)
Russ, I believe that was in Lynnbrook. It was in yesterday's Daily News. And I saw it on the news briefly last night. The kids were playing around the tracks. There was a hole in the fence so the railroad will be at fault. There's one thing Deputy Watash has instilled in me: "IT AIN'T OVER 'TILL THE FAT BARREL SINGS!"
From the New york Post, July 15th BOY ELECTROCUTED ON LIRR TRACKS By ED ROBINSON ------------------------------------------------------------------------ July 15, 2002 -- A child playing on Long Island Rail Road tracks with a group of friends was electrocuted after touching the third rail yesterday, cops said. The boy, whose name and age were not released, touched the rail at Wright Avenue near the Lynbrook station, police said. He was taken to Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre, where he was pronounced dead. Three of his playmates were treated for trauma at South Nassau Hospital and released.
