Family Of Abington Man Struck By Train While Texting Urges Others Not To Make Same Mistake
ABINGTON, Pa. (CBS) -- Beverly Washington loves looking at old photos, but these pictures are now what's left for her to hold of her grandson Andre after he was struck and killed by a SEPTA Regional Rail train on Monday.
"He would do anything for anybody, he would just give his heart out," says Washington, the victim's grandmother.
She and her husband Nathaniel raised Andre from the day he was born.
"We raised him from a baby, we brought him home from the hospital," Nathaniel says.
Andre was walking on the train tracks near Noble station Monday afternoon on the way to meet his girlfriend. Police say he was texting while walking in the same direction of an oncoming train and was struck and killed.
"There is a bend in the tracks at that point and time. Just around that bend is where he was," explains Deputy Chief John Livinghood, of the Abington Police Department.
Andre had graduated from Abington High School and was attending a tech school to become a welder.
His family celebrated his birthday two weeks ago. Now, they are making funeral arrangements.
"You got a 20-year-old kid who didn't really have a chance yet," Beverly says.
Studies show an increase in pedestrian injures due to distractions like texting.
Now, Andre's family is left wondering why he didn't use better judgment -- and hoping others learn from his mistake.
"Oh, that's not going to happen to me, and then the whole family takes a loss," Beverly laments. "I just hope it never ever happens to anybody else."