Boy’s death an apparent suicide

A 16-year-old boy was killed by a CSX train yesterday in an apparent suicide, said Portage County Sheriff Dave Doak.

The boy, a Kent resident, laid on the tracks on Powdermill Road in Kent and waited for a train to pass, Doak said.

The train’s conductor called local police, who arrived at the scene at roughly 9:30 a.m.

The train was traveling from Connellsville, Pa., to Willard, carrying mixed freight when it struck the boy, CSX spokesman Garrick Francis said.

“Any time something tragic like this happens, (it’s) extremely unfortunate,” Francis said. “Our conductors and engineers are unable to quickly stop the trains.”

– Jenna Staul