Freight Train Kills Wenatchee Toddler

Sun., July 26, 1998

From Staff

A train struck and killed a 20-month-old girl who strayed onto the tracks west of town, Chelan County Sheriff Dan Breda said.

The toddler had been along the Wenatchee River with several adult family members on Friday evening when she followed the adults as they walked back to their vehicle to leave, Sheriff Dan Breda said.

The adults crossed the tracks on foot and went up an embankment to their car. Each group of adults thought the other had been watching the girl, and they were unaware she had been following, Breda said.

The girl’s aunt noticed the toddler sitting on one of the rails as a Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train approached.

The aunt yelled, but the girl failed to move in time. The toddler, identified as Della Esmerelda Rocha of Wenatchee, was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital, Breda said.

The train had been traveling about 45 mph at the time of the accident. The crew tried but failed to stop the train in time.

The brakeman, David Burgard of Spokane, suffered from shock and was treated at a hospital and released.

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