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Community Devastated After Tragic Train Accident

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Oct 31, 2009 9:25 pm US/Eastern

Community Devastated After Tragic Train Accident

A funeral service has been set for 11 a.m. Tuesday at the City Church of Connellsville

DERRY BOROUGH (KDKA) ― A community is in mourning following the deaths of a mother and child who were hit by a train Friday in Westmoreland County.

One day after the accident, friends of the victim, Sheila Singer, placed a wreath near the railroad tracks where she and her 2-year-old son were killed in Derry Borough.

Friends say Singer lived in a white two-story apartment building in Derry Borough, and like so many others, she took a nearby path across the railroad tracks to get to the Dollar General store.

"I said, 'Sheila don't do it today,'" said Sandra Short, a friend of Singer's. "I said there's too many trains going by too fast; I mean the train was going like 80 miles per hour."

Short said she had loaned Singer $50 to get food for her children at the store.

She says Singer was pushing her son, John, in a stroller when it got stuck in the tracks.

"She saw the train, but she wasn't paying attention to the train, she was more worried about the babies," said Short. "I was running up to help get the babies off the track. I got half way and I saw her get hit and I saw her body just fly up in the air and the stroller fly up in the air."

Officials say Singer was killed instantly and her son was swept under the tracks. Her two other children, a 1-year-old girl and a 5-year-old girl were not hurt.

"Mindy was already across the tracks; she was hollering, 'Mommy, Mommy.' She just wanted to go to her mommy and I had to hold her back and that's just a tragic thing," added Short.

There is a bridge over the tracks, but local residents say the steps there are unsafe.

A Derry Borough police car was parked near the track on Saturday to prevent anyone from crossing.

This latest incident is the third fatal accident along the railroad tracks.

"People need to know she was a good mother, and she did what she had to do to survive," said Janelle Lentz, another friend of the victim. "They need to take care of this because too many innocent people are getting killed."

Visitation has been set for Monday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the City Church in Connellsville. The funeral service will be held there Tuesday at 11 a.m.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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