Train-car collision fatal

I'm the parent of a child, Nate Faulkner, who lost his life to an Amtrak. He was 16 years old and was physically struck by an Amtrak in Linden, IN on September 27, 2003. The circumstances surrounding the accident have always been suspicious, and foul play was never ruled out. Suicide, drugs or alchol were not a factor in his death.

I would like to speak out about the allowed speeds of the Amtraks. As a driver, I am required to follow a posted speed limit of 30 mph when traveling through Linden, yet it's legal for the Amtrak's to travel at 79mph. There is no rationale in that. Had the train been traveling at a slower rate of speed, had the engineer sounded his horn appropriately, which is required by law, had he attempted to stop when supposedly he saw my son's body lying across the tracks and deemed it a manequin,(he never even sounded his horn when he claims to have spotted Nate) had he sounded his horn properly at the previous railroad crossing, would my son be alive today? He was negligent in so many aspects.

Amtrak is funded a great deal by the federal government so it's unlikely that any laws will change. But if there is someone out there who has the ability to go up against their organization, it needs to be done.

I'm tired of the senseless deaths that they cause.

Sincerely,
Nate's Mom Shanna

Shanna, Ive been wondering how you have been, I haven't heard anything about you guys for awhile and wanted to see how you were doing? Ive been doing pretty good, I recently joined the Marines and I leave in Oct. I hope everything is going good and I will be thinking about all of you in the next up coming months! I hope you get this, and you remember me, think about Wrestling 215lbs!!! Take Care and I hope to hear from you! Anthony Southern

Shanna Faulkner wrote:

I'm the parent of a child, Nate Faulkner, who lost his life to an Amtrak. He was 16 years old and was physically struck by an Amtrak in Linden, IN on September 27, 2003. The circumstances surrounding the accident have always been suspicious, and foul play was never ruled out. Suicide, drugs or alchol were not a factor in his death.
I would like to speak out about the allowed speeds of the Amtraks. As a driver, I am required to follow a posted speed limit of 30 mph when traveling through Linden, yet it's legal for the Amtrak's to travel at 79mph. There is no rationale in that. Had the train been traveling at a slower rate of speed, had the engineer sounded his horn appropriately, which is required by law, had he attempted to stop when supposedly he saw my son's body lying across the tracks and deemed it a manequin,(he never even sounded his horn when he claims to have spotted Nate) had he sounded his horn properly at the previous railroad crossing, would my son be alive today? He was negligent in so many aspects.
Amtrak is funded a great deal by the federal government so it's unlikely that any laws will change. But if there is someone out there who has the ability to go up against their organization, it needs to be done.
I'm tired of the senseless deaths that they cause.
Sincerely,
Nate's Mom Shanna

My email is southern_football@yahoo.com

Shanna Faulkner wrote:

I'm the parent of a child, Nate Faulkner, who lost his life to an Amtrak. He was 16 years old and was physically struck by an Amtrak in Linden, IN on September 27, 2003. The circumstances surrounding the accident have always been suspicious, and foul play was never ruled out. Suicide, drugs or alchol were not a factor in his death.
I would like to speak out about the allowed speeds of the Amtraks. As a driver, I am required to follow a posted speed limit of 30 mph when traveling through Linden, yet it's legal for the Amtrak's to travel at 79mph. There is no rationale in that. Had the train been traveling at a slower rate of speed, had the engineer sounded his horn appropriately, which is required by law, had he attempted to stop when supposedly he saw my son's body lying across the tracks and deemed it a manequin,(he never even sounded his horn when he claims to have spotted Nate) had he sounded his horn properly at the previous railroad crossing, would my son be alive today? He was negligent in so many aspects.
Amtrak is funded a great deal by the federal government so it's unlikely that any laws will change. But if there is someone out there who has the ability to go up against their organization, it needs to be done.
I'm tired of the senseless deaths that they cause.
Sincerely,
Nate's Mom Shanna