Three teenage girls in Utah — Essa Ricker, 15, Kelsea Webster, 15, and Savannah Webster, 13 — died in a devastating accident after posing for a selfie near train tracks in October 2011. The girls were excitedly watching a westbound train go by when they failed to notice another train approaching from the opposite direction. Just moments before impact, Savannah posted on Facebook: “Standing right by a train ahaha this is awesome!!!!”

The eastbound Union Pacific train, traveling at 39 mph, was unable to stop in time. “They were in their own little world,” said conductor John Anderson. He and engineer Michael Anderson sounded the horn repeatedly, but the girls remained unaware. “We saw them for about 12 seconds until they disappeared from our sight,” John recalled.

Essa and Kelsea died instantly. Savannah, though severely injured, was rushed to the hospital. After multiple surgeries, doctors informed her family she would not recover. Her mother, Jayna Webster, shared: “It’s time to say goodbye, for now, to an angel that walked among us.”

The emotional toll extended to the train crew. “What happened was very intense and I have to carry it the rest of my life,” Michael said. Both men, fathers of teenage girls, struggled with the trauma.

In the aftermath, Jayna Webster became a vocal advocate for railroad safety. “The accident that took my daughters’ lives was preventable,” she said. Union Pacific also launched safety campaigns, urging people to avoid photos near train tracks. Michael Anderson’s plea remains haunting: “Think about the pain it would inflict on families… It also hurts the train crew, the first responders, and the many people who love you.”