Boy, Girl Struck on Trestle

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Boy, Girl Struck on Trestle Frantic parents today identified John Wawrzyniak Jr., 14, and his sister, Karen, 9, as the victims of a PRSL train at Mechanic and Louis sts. Police said the parents were John and Florence Wawrzyniak, of 1121 Orchard st. A boy and a girl, both unidentified, lost their lives today when they were struck by a Camden-bound Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines train at Mechanic and Louis sts. Investigators said the boy, about 13 or 14, apparently died a hero's death as he attempted to get the girl, possibly his sister aged 9 or 10, off the tracks of a trestle spanning the intersection. The boy was pronounced dead on arrival at 10.10 a. m. at West Jersey Hospital. The girl died 20 minutes later in the hospital, authorities there said. Railroad authorities placed the time of the accident at 9.40 a. m. Coroner Wooster was notified. Witnesses said the youngsters were running in the same direction the train was heading and almost had cleared the trestle when they were struck. Train 15 Minutes Late A PRSL spokesman said the two-car diesel left Haddonfield at 9.31 and was due at the Broadway station at 9.42. It arrived 14 minutes late. Many of the passengers had boarded it at Hadodnfield after leaving a train from Atlantic City. Engineer John C. Gillon, of —Courier-Post Photo by Arthur C. Jarvis A BOY AND A GIRL died here today . . . suddenly. Haddonfield, reported he saw the children on the trestle and sounded his whistle as he applied emergency brakes but was unable to stop in time. Walter D. Lamon, of Camden, was conductor. The PRSL spokesman said the youngsters technically were "trespassing." Det. Sgt. Patrick Carr, who took over the investigation, said a witness, William Bukowski, 41, of 1508 Norris st., attempted to run up the ice and snow covered embankment when he saw their plight. "I heard the whistle and saw the kids," Carr quoted Bukowski as stating. "The girl appeared to be playing and bending over the tracks. When the boy heard the whistle, he turned and ran back (Continued on Page 3—Column 8)

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Train Kills 2 (Continued From Page One) and attemped to drag her off the trestle. They were near the end of the trestle when they were struck." At the hospital, a marketing list and $7 was found in the boy's pockets. It called for purchases of sauerkraut, pumpernickel bread, cracked wheat bread, cream cheese and cigarets. Police were called to the scene [illegible]

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by John Revallo, operator of a cafe at Louis and Mechanic sts., who relayed a report by Henry Uber, another witness. Uber, a painting contractor with offices and shop at 1207-09 Liberty st., was clearing snow on the Mechanic st. side of his building when he heard the train whistle and looked up to see the children on the tracks. Both appeared to be running in the same direction the train was heading, he said, and were thrown part way down the embankment when struck.

A BOY AND A GIRL died here today . . . suddenly. —Courier-Post Photo by Arthur C. Jarvis

Frantic parents today identified John Wawrzyniak Jr., 14, and his sister, Karen, 9, as the victims of a PRSL train at Mechanic and Louis sts.

Police said the parents were John and Florence Wawrzyniak, of 1121 Orchard st.

A boy and a girl, both unidentified, lost their lives today when they were struck by a Camden-bound Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines train at Mechanic and Louis sts.

Investigators said the boy, about 13 or 14, apparently died a hero's death as he attempted to get the girl, possibly his sister aged 9 or 10, off the tracks of a trestle spanning the intersection.

The boy was pronounced dead on arrival at 10.10 a. m. at West Jersey Hospital. The girl died 20 minutes later in the hospital, authorities there said.

Railroad authorities placed the time of the accident at 9.40 a. m. Coroner Wooster was notified.

Witnesses said the youngsters were running in the same direction the train was heading and almost had cleared the trestle when they were struck.

Train 15 Minutes Late

A PRSL spokesman said the two-car diesel left Haddonfield at 9.31 and was due at the Broadway station at 9.42. It arrived 14 minutes late. Many of the passengers had boarded it at Hadodnfield [sic] after leaving a train from Atlantic City.

Engineer John C. Gillon, of Haddonfield, reported he saw the children on the trestle and sounded his whistle as he applied emergency brakes but was unable to stop in time. Walter D. Lamon, of Camden, was conductor.

The PRSL spokesman said the youngsters technically were "trespassing."

Det. Sgt. Patrick Carr, who took over the investigation, said a witness, William Bukowski, 41, of 1508 Norris st., attempted to run up the ice and snow covered embankment when he saw their plight.

"I heard the whistle and saw the kids," Carr quoted Bukowski as stating. "The girl appeared to be playing and bending over the tracks. When the boy heard the whistle, he turned and ran back and attemped [sic] to drag her off the trestle. They were near the end of the trestle when they were struck."

At the hospital, a marketing list and $7 was found in the boy's pockets. It called for purchases of sauerkraut, pumpernickel bread, cracked wheat bread, cream cheese and cigarets.

Police were called to the scene by John Revallo, operator of a cafe at Louis and Mechanic sts., who relayed a report by Henry Uber, another witness.

Uber, a painting contractor with offices and shop at 1207-09 Liberty st., was clearing snow on the Mechanic st. side of his building when he heard the train whistle and looked up to see the children on the tracks. Both appeared to be running in the same direction the train was heading, he said, and were thrown part way down the embankment when struck.