Houston ISD said that they would assist the family in paying for the funeral of a Milby High School student who was killed after they were hit by a train on their way to school, just more than a day earlier.
Alexandra Elizondo, the Houston ISD Chief of Public Affairs and Communication, described the situation as terrible on Tuesday afternoon and stated that the district would be helping the family.
Her words, “Our heart goes out to the family,” “We are providing support to the student’s family through counseling supports that are being offered and assistance to cover costs that they may incur around a funeral.”
Shortly after the incident, the student’s family launched a GoFundMe page to assist with the cost of the funeral. The fund has exceeded its initial $10,000 target by Tuesday midday. With a new target of $15,000, the family had raised more than $13,000 at the time of publication.
The student’s identity and age, 15-year-old Sergio Rodriguez, were also made public by the family. Rodriguez played football at the high school, according to the GoFundMe website.
According to the GoFundMe description, “Sergio was only 15 years old, leaving behind four siblings, and two parents that loved him deeply,” “He was incredibly intelligent, humorous, compassionate, and full of life. He was stolen from us too quickly.
Houston ISD has only stated that the pupil attended Milby and has not yet verified the student’s name.
Police say that at approximately 7:35 a.m., a train and pedestrian collided fatally at 2000 Broadway St. close to Galveston Road. Shortly later, the pedestrian was declared dead, according to the officers. The victim was identified as a student at Milby High School, which is close to the scene of the event, by a Houston ISD later that morning.
During a press briefing on the scene on Monday, Sgt. Bill Elsbury of the Houston Homicide Division verified that the train was in motion at the time of the event.
Elsbury remarked, “I can’t think of anything worse when we lose a child or a juvenile; it’s terrible.” We’re being told that the train was moving. According to witnesses, the railroad crossings were operating as intended, the train was moving slowly, the arms were down, and the lights were on.
Elizondo added that Milby’s attendance policy took into consideration the potential for train delays and that these situations were not intended to have an impact on a student’s attendance history.
“The attendance policy at the school is that students are encouraged to be at school every day and to be on time.” “I said,” she said. To get there, they shouldn’t, however, take any actions that endanger their own security. The principal is aware that children’s ability to get to school on time is hampered by this train track.
Following Rodriguez’s passing, several members of the community accused Ruth Pena, the principal of Milby High School, of being responsible and started an online campaign to have her fired.
Elizondo stood up for Pena, claiming that she had no authority over the train’s timetable.
“The principal has police officers that she pays overtime to come to school early and monitor the area around [the] school,” she stated. “She goes above and beyond to do this…. Negotiating train schedules is not the principal’s job, and I find it offensive that she was implied to have failed to fulfill her duties.
Rodriguez tried to cross the rails away from the main crossing in an unguarded place, according to Elizondo. She also reaffirmed that the event was being investigated by the Union Pacific Railroad and the Houston Police Department, not the school district.
“This is an investigation that’s being handled by HPD and Union Pacific Railroad,” she stated. “HISD does not have an investigation going on. This did not take place on school grounds.
By Tuesday morning, a modest monument for Rodriguez had started to take shape at the base of a utility pole close to the scene of the deadly collision. It included candles, flowers, and a football.
A Union Pacific police officer and several other Union Pacific Railroad workers were also present Tuesday morning. Union Pacific owns the train that hit Rodriguez and the lines it traveled on. The staff seemed to be looking about and making notes.
The Union Pacific officer stated that he was on the scene to stop trespassing on Union Pacific’s private property, but he would not comment on whether the employee’s presence was connected to the fatal occurrence.
A Union Pacific representative told Houston Public Media that an investigation is underway on the event. If the business knew that students might have been crossing halted trains to get to class, the representative did not elaborate.
“Union Pacific is cooperating with the community and investigating the incident,” added the statement.
In a statement issued shortly after Houston ISD’s press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Mayor John Whitmire instructed city departments to investigate potential safety measures.
“This afternoon, I asked the City of Houston Planning Department and Houston Public Works to assess the feasibility and costs of constructing a skywalk to ensure the safety of students and pedestrians who need to cross the railroad tracks on Broadway, where a train hit and killed a Milby High School student on Monday,” he said in a statement. “This tragedy should never have happened because it was preventable. Even if a train seems to be moving slowly, I advise them to always be cautious and never try to outrun it.
“I promise to work with the railroad and local, state, and federal leaders to make this skywalk a reality. To further encourage safety, we need to put in place an education program run by the railroad, teachers, parents, and community organizations.
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