A conductor of a train that tragically killed three teens who were posing for selfies has opened up about the horrific ordeal.
In October 2011, 15-year-old Essa Ricker, her friend Kelsea Webster, also 15, and Kelsea’s younger sister, 13-year-old Savannah, ventured to Spanish Fork Canyon in Utah for a day of fun.
The three teenagers did not see or hear the train approaching. Credit: Union Pacific
The group stopped by the train tracks, posing for selfies with an oncoming train.
“Standing right by a train ahaha this is awesome!!!!” Savannah posted on Facebook, capturing the group’s excitement as a westbound train passed in the background.
Unbeknownst to them, another train approached from the opposite direction, its headlights visible in the corner of their photo.
Engineer Michael Anderson and conductor John Anderson sounded the horn to try and alert the girls that they were standing in harm’s way.
Sadly, the girls continued taking selfies, unaware of the danger that was hurtling towards them.
The two trains were only three to four feet apart, creating a powerful turbulence that threw the girls into harm’s way, according to Utah County Sheriff’s Sgt. Spencer Cannon, per the Daily Mail.
Despite the train crew’s efforts, it was too late.
The train conductors have spoken out about the lasting impact of the tragedy. Credit: Monty Rakusen / Getty
Traveling at 39 mph, the train couldn’t come to a stop in time. By the time the emergency brakes were applied, the train had already passed the girls, eventually stopping nearly a quarter mile down the track. John rushed back to the scene.
Tragically, Essa and Kelsea had already died due to their injuries. Savannah, though alive, was severely hurt.
“We spoke to the doctors today and they informed us that Savvy’s brain injuries were too great,” Savannah’s mother wrote on her blog, as reported by the Daily Mail. “Even though they’ve done everything possible, Savannah will not be able to recover any further.”
John Anderson, the train conductor, opened up to Union Pacific about the tragic events that took place.
“They were in their own little world,” he said.
“We watched in horror as we got closer,” John went on. “We saw them for about 12 seconds until they disappeared from our sight and the train continued moving forward.”
As he raced back to where the girls had been hit, he heard Savannah’s cries for help.
“I told her everything would be OK and she relaxed a little,” said John, who held Savannah’s hand until paramedics arrived. “I hoped she would make it and for some reason, I really thought she would.”
John and Michael both returned to work. Credit: Union Pacific
The night of the accident, John returned home in silence, haunted by the images of the tragedy that had unfolded on the tracks.
The horrifying scene replayed in his mind – finding the lifeless bodies of the young girls.
Overwhelmed, he considered turning to alcohol for comfort, but his wife’s firm advice steered him away from that path.
For John and Michael, the crew members on that fateful day, the tragedy hit particularly hard. Both men had teenage daughters of their own, making the accident all the more personal and painful. Yet, despite experiencing the same event, their reactions were vastly different.
Michael, the engineer at the controls, went home without saying a word to John.
He barely spoke to his wife, who quietly sat beside him, offering support without questions.
The trauma for Michael was profound – he had seen the blonde hair of the girls, their jackets whipping in the wind, and the helpless unfolding of the tragic events.
Union Pacific urges people to stay away from train tracks. Credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty
The memory haunted him, replaying in vivid detail during the day and in relentless nightmares at night.
“What happened was very intense and I have to carry it the rest of my life,” Michael reflected.
He never discussed the details of that night with John. “I don’t know what John saw that night and I don’t want to know what he saw that night.”
When the two men eventually returned to work, they were embraced by their railroad family.
Their co-workers stressed that the accident was not their fault, offering support in whatever way they could.
John found some solace in talking to his colleagues, gradually loosening the grip the tragedy had on him.
Michael, however, chose not to speak about the accident, and his fellow railroaders respected his silence.
Recently, Michael has become a peer support volunteer, offering guidance and understanding to train crews who experience traumatic incidents like the one he endured.
When asked what message he would give to teenagers who might consider taking selfies or photos near train tracks, Michael responded: “I’d tell them to stay away from such a dangerous area.
“Think about the pain it would inflict on their families if things went wrong. It also hurts the train crew, the first responders, and the many people who love you.”
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