LAURENS, S.C. (WSPA) – Authorities have charged two minors who allegedly infiltrated railroad facilities and triggered a derailment in Laurens on Saturday.
The Laurens Police Department said the two broke into the Carolina Piedmont Railroad and CSX Transportation Railroad between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
According to investigators, the minors started an engine that was connected to two others and drove all three engines around the yard.
“They learned how to start a train through YouTube, which enabled them to fire up the engine after they climbed aboard,” stated Chief Heath Copeland of the Laurens Police Department.
The juveniles took their actions further by maneuvering the train toward Greenville on the tracks. However, their return journey encountered significant issues.
“The track switched after they went past it. So when it came back, [they] ran into the cars that were on the same line,” Copeland said.
The collision with the parked railcars caused a derailment and significant damage to one of the cars.
“This act was both dangerous and irresponsible,” Copeland posted on Facebook. “Railroad areas are not playgrounds. The presence of trains, tracks, and rail yards involves serious hazards, and unauthorized entry can lead to potentially fatal outcomes.”
Police said while the stunt might sound like something out of a movie, the consequences are all too real.
“There are hidden dangers associated with railroad tracks that many might not realize,” Copeland emphasized. “It’s not the companies, but the tracks themselves. Numerous activities occur there, and those railcars cannot halt abruptly. Collisions can cause extensive harm and are certainly not something to be taken lightly.”
According to the police department, the minors are charged with second-degree burglary, grand larceny exceeding $10,000, malicious property damage over $10,000, deliberate destruction of railroad property, and injury to the railway.
The two are in custody at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia.
