Modern Train Cockpit with City View Modern Train Cockpit with City View
Modern Train Cockpit with City View Noel Snpr / Pexels

The Hope College community is in mourning over the tragic loss of its Junior college student who was hit and killed by a train on Saturday night near 10th Street in Holland, Michigan.

Jennifer Kasunick, a 20-year-old blind student, had been walking on the sidewalk when the train signals activated.

According to the Holland police, as shared by WZZM 13, she did stop for the signals, but apparently never realized just how close she had gotten to the tracks. The passing train clipped her and then she succumbed to her injuries in Holland Hospital.

Sunday evening, the campus community held a service at Dimnent Memorial Chapel to honor the memory of Jennifer. Many remembered her as one of the bright and kind students who always managed to bring smiles everywhere she was. Campus social networks are filled with warm tributes reflecting the tremendous influence she left in the campus community.

Jennifer was an active member of the Hope College community. She played in the orchestra and served as a Resident Assistant (RA) in Phelps Hall alongside her service dog, Rowdy, who survived the incident.

College President Matthew Scogin took to social media to express his condolences.

Will the Train Operator Be Charged?

Based on the description given in the account, the train cannot be charged with the accident.

Kasunick was blind and stopped at the train signals, probably miscalculating the distance away from the tracks. The train was running according to plan, and the signals were also given that warned the pedestrians and vehicles.

It is critical, at this point, that such incidents call for accessible infrastructure so that visually impaired individuals might have alternative ways of detecting warnings with the aid of a tactile device or supplemented by additional auditory signals to possibly prevent similar tragedies in the future.

CSX, the company that owned the train, already issued condolences to everyone and promised support to the investigating authority.