Date: March 13th 2006

Miss Deaf Texas Struck & Killed By Train

Austinite Tara McAvoy was the reigning Miss Deaf Texas. She graduated last year from the Texas School For The Deaf.

On Monday, she was struck by a train and killed at the tracks between West Mary and Oltorf in South Austin.

Just after 2 p.m. Monday, a train heading northbound hit and killed McAvoy. Police say she was not walking on the tracks but alongside them, close enough to put her right in harm's way.

Adam Martinez has been a security officer at the Texas School For The Deaf for four years. He didn't know McAvoy well, but he definitely knew of her.

"My heart just feels for her," Martinez said. "She was a real nice student, real nice... very bright. She had a bright future ahead of her."

That's easy to see if you take a look at her school profile. She was a cheerleader and president of her class. She was on the judicial board and the basketball team and was the reigning Miss Deaf Texas. Hers was a bright life, cut short in a matter of seconds on railroad tracks just blocks from her school.

"We don't know if she was actually crossing," said Laura Albrecht with the Austin Police Department. "We do know that she was just off the tracks, west of the tracks, and then was struck by the train."

The train, heading northbound at the time, was a Union Pacific. A spokeperson with the company tells us the conductor honked the horn several times, though McAvoy obviously could not hear it. They also said, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of this woman. We would like for people to realize that walking on railroad tracks is very dangerous."

Martinez says he worries about all the time about a driver and a vehicle hitting one of the students.

"We are at a deaf school," Martinez said. "A lot of people just come out whenever they want. They won't hear you."

And although the campus is quiet now because of spring break, Martinez says McAvoy's loss will be felt by all the students.

"A lot of the students are going to feel sad, very sad," Martinez said. "I believe she had a whole lot of friends, and they're like a family here. They're like a family."

Now investigators are talking to the conductor to get more information on how this happened, and you can count on KXAN to bring it to you as soon we get it.

To read full article (videos & pictures), go to:
http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=4625176


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