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12-Year-Old Boy Fatally Struck By NJ Transit Train
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 22, 2010
Modified Sep 22, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 22, 2010
Modified Sep 22, 2010
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Yesterday afternoon, a 12-year-old boy was killed by a NJ Transit train in Hackensack, NJ. The incident occurred around 3 p.m. when Caesar Muloki was walking near the tacks by Railroad Avenue and Central Avenue. The agency's spokesman Dan Stessel said, "This appears to be a tragic accident, and our thoughts are with the family this evening." However, there are conflicting reports about what may have happened—NJ Transit claims he was listening to his iPod at the time.
According to WPIX, "Witnesses told authorities the boy...was running alongside the train and suddenly ran in front of it as he attempted to cross the tracks. However New Jersey Transit officials received a different account. The train's engineer said Muloki had his back to the train, was listening to his iPod and saw him crossing the tracks." The engineer said he sounded his horn but Muloki apparently didn't hear him; the engineer also applied the emergency brake, but the train couldn't stop in time.
Muloki, a middle-school student, would have turned 13 in two weeks.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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