Train kills 17-year-old boy posing for senior portraits on tracks, Oregon police say

A senior portrait photo shoot on railroad tracks near Troutdale, Oregon, turned tragic Saturday night when a train came along, KPTV reports.

The train hit and killed a 17-year-old boy posing for photos on the tracks near the Columbia River Highway, The Oregonian reported.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office says the teen was pronounced dead at the scene about 6 p.m., KOIN reported. The train crew was unharmed.

Deputies said the photographer, a woman, was unhurt but “very shaken,” KPTV reported.

Investigators don’t yet know why the boy, whose name has not been released by the medical examiner’s office, failed to get out of the way of the train, The Oregonian reported.

“Our thoughts are with the teen’s family and friends,” Union Pacific said in a statement, KOIN reported. “We plead with parents, students and photographers to not take photos on or near the tracks.”

Troutdale is a city of about 16,000 people on the Columbia River just northeast of Portland.

This story was originally published November 4, 2019 at 7:39 AM with the headline "Train kills 17-year-old boy posing for senior portraits on tracks, Oregon police say."