S. Orange man remembers friends killed by train near Shoprite archived

Sad story. I have seen kids crossing the tracks sometimes during my morning commute, and it always makes me anxious. Safety first, people.

Here's Matt's website to link to the song he composed. I remember the sorrow felt town wide at the time. I knew the families to two of the boys. Prayers help, thanks Matt!

http://mattmattheiss.com/home.cfm

I remember that day very well. It's the kind of thing you just don't forget.

That was a horrible night. I was at a holiday party, (waiting for my hubby to arrive) all the men who commuted from NYC were very late getting to the party, because the trains stopped running. When they arrived they told us what had happened. We were all horrified. We had only been living here for 2 months and had 2 little kids. As a very young parent the train track danger had never crossed my mind. That very evening I spoke to my little ones about the danger of walking on the tracks, of course, I meant this education to sink in by the time they were teens.

I remember the accident. One of the boys was a schoolmate of my son's.

Does anyone remember just the aunt's post many years ago about this night? She had a brother who was close to the boys who were killed, and she wrote a haunting, memorable account of the evening and its impact on her brother's life It was very powerful. But she took it down a few days (or maybe hours) later - IIRC, she said that someone had suggested to her that she had shared "too much." I regret not ever writing to her that I though her post was beautiful and sad. And I always think of her account whenever this tragedy is mentioned.

JTA and I talked about it once, a few years ago. What she said was so haunting that I can't really capture it, but for those of you who lived in SO then and especially those of you who knew the boys, it must have been a life-changer.

I knew them; my brothers Paul and John were the same age. It is a night I'll never forget...

Absolutely I remember that night as well. Yes Meta it was life-changing

Having a 14 year old now, it really hits home. Very sad.

where was the Shoprite? oh, I remember the Shoprite, Eden Market is there now!

yes

The same exact thing almost happened to my friends and me when we were 14... walking on the tracks from Millburn to Maplewood. We thought that there was no way we would not hear a train coming and be able to get off in time. Suddenly an express train came from behind extremely fast and we didn't hear it until it was right on top of us. We dove out of the way just in time, and were very rattled. My feet haven't touched train tracks since.

When my son was in elementary school or middle school (I forget which), there was a similar incident by MMS where kids were crossing the tracks and all did not make it off the tracks in time. Since then there have been efforts on the part of NJT to use fencing and plantings to make the tracks less accessible along the right of way but kids still get on the tracks from time to time and not all make it off again. I am glad that there are plans to have yet another round of "stay off the tracks" programs. Lives saved are the kind of life altering experience I would like to see going forward.

My brother and family will never forget that night. It was on my brother & sister's birthday and they were at our house celebrating. They left to walk to the village. It was a life changing event for so many. People came to our house and told our parents it was our other brother, which it wasn't. Matt has remained a very special person in our lives. JTA always wanted him to put something out there. The song is a great tribute and a great reminder of that tragic night and the dangers of the tracks.

I was only 4 at the time and don't remember that one but was told about it all the time, but I do remember the one a few years later when kids were hit on the train trestle above Maplewood center when I was a few years older I wanna say late 70s early 80s.. I lived on Dunnell Rd where the trains always went behind my house... I remember the train going pass an I always watched it.. then like 20 min later I saw it backing up and stopping, I had no idea then my sister was in the center at the time came home and told us what happened...

I cant imagine what both sets of kids went through

That was about 1982, very soon after we moved here from the City. It was the birthday of one of the children that was killed.
Terribly tragic . I didn't have kids then but when I did start a family, I was forever aware of the dangers of the train tracks and
instilling that fear in my kids.

LAR said:

That was about 1982, very soon after we moved here from the City. It was the birthday of one of the children that was killed.
Terribly tragic . I didn't have kids then but when I did start a family, I was forever aware of the dangers of the train tracks and
instilling that fear in my kids.

You are thinking of another accident. This tragic night happened in 1975. I was not living here then but I know very well what the after effects were for Matt Mattheiss. He is my ex husband and even after 21 years beind divorced still one of my closest friends.

By the way..if you have young kids talk to them about the tracks and even show them the article. I live right next to Mountain Station and you would be shocked to see how many kids regularly walk on the tracks or play "dare" on the tracks.

pixigirl said:

LAR said:

That was about 1982, very soon after we moved here from the City. It was the birthday of one of the children that was killed.
Terribly tragic . I didn't have kids then but when I did start a family, I was forever aware of the dangers of the train tracks and
instilling that fear in my kids.

You are thinking of another accident. This tragic night happened in 1975.

I believe LAR was referring to the accident in Maplewood that Jerseyrants mentioned in their post.

jerseysrants said:

I was only 4 at the time and don't remember that one but was told about it all the time, but I do remember the one a few years later when kids were hit on the train trestle above Maplewood center when I was a few years older I wanna say late 70s early 80s.. I lived on Dunnell Rd where the trains always went behind my house... I remember the train going pass an I always watched it.. then like 20 min later I saw it backing up and stopping, I had no idea then my sister was in the center at the time came home and told us what happened...

I cant imagine what both sets of kids went through

The one in 1982 happened in January. These kids were from Millburn. They were walking on the tracks that day after coming back from the city. The kids saw an express train coming. All except for two jumped over the tressel and survived. The other two girls held on to the tressel, and they did not survive. One of the girls was Rosemarie Lepore. She was 13, I believe. I knew her family.

It is so heartbreaking that it happens so frequently. I get so mad when I see kids on the tracks. I guess at that age one feels invincible.

A train engineer told me that people would be shocked to realize how frequently it happens. The impact it has on the engineer is equally devastating with many of them not being able to cope with such a tragedy afterwards. as per this engineer the worst part is that you see the people on the tracks a good ways away but you know there is nothing you can do. To stop an express train at full speed takes almost the distance between two stations.

My kids wont walk the tracks because they know what happened and the impact it had so if you have young ones talk to them cause I can tell you...loads of them do it regularly.

Many kids feel that it can't happen to them at that age. My friends and I used to walk on the tracks. We never did it again after the tragedy that happened to your ex husband and the others. You are so right. Children need to be educated about staying off the tracks.

Very powerful and tragic story. A great tribute and terrific that Matt will be helping other kids learn about the dangers along the tracks.