Galesburg, IL (August 26, 2021) On August 25, 2021, at about 6:37 p.m., the Galesburg Police Department responded to a pedestrian vs. train fatality at the railroad crossing in the 400 block of N. Whitesboro Street. A 15-year-old female victim, later identified as Katie J. Ackerman was found deceased in a nearby drainage ditch.
The preliminary investigation indicates that the victim walked around the lowered railroad gates after a train had passed. A second train struck the victim as she walked onto the second set of tracks.
Detectives processed the scene, which was then handed over to the Knox County Coroner's office. Immediate family was on scene and were notified of the death. Galesburg Police Department, Galesburg Fire Department, GHAS, and B.N.S.F. Police all responded to the scene to assist. "We are all saddened by this horrific tragedy", stated Chief Russell Idle. "There are no words that can express the sympathy of this community to the parents and family of this young person who was taken from us way too soon."