A teen who died after jumping onto a Metra train in the south suburbs Sunday has been identified. The Will County Coroner’s Office says the victim is 13-year-old Marcellus Martin. The official cause of death was listed as electrocution.
Metra spokesman Michael Gillis said a couple of juveniles went in to a rail yard in south suburban University Park at about 7 p.m. when one of the individuals jumped on top of a parked electric train.
Metra officials say the teen died at the scene.
The area where the incident happened is a short-term rail storage yard. There are no signs or fencing in the area where Sunday's incident happened and brush had to be cut back so emergency personnel could access the location.
Another Metra spokesperson said the rail agency has no history of people trespassing near the University Park station and stressed that under Illinois law, railroad areas are considered to be private property and do not have to be marked with signs warnings of trespassing.
"If there is kids wandering around the tracks, I feel like somebody should notice. Maybe a little more security or something," Metra rider Nicole Mohr said.
"If you're climbing on tracks you are kind of running a risk," Metra rider Dave Mohr said. "It's a bummer to say that.. harsh... but it's a train, I think most people know, trains are dangerous."
Metra officials declined to speculate if security around the area would be upgraded.
