Two juveniles have been charged with numerous counts after allegedly entering multiple rail facilities and causing a train crash in Laurens, South Carolina.
A spokesperson for the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment to Newsweek, due to the incident taking place out of its jurisdiction.
Newsweek reached out to the Laurens Police Department via phone and email for comment.
Why It Matters
Railroad yards and live tracks present unique hazards like moving equipment, heavy railcars and energized systems that authorities warn can have life-threatening consequences.
There were 65,000 cargo thefts on U.S. railways in 2024, according to the Association of American Railroads, representing a 40 percent year-over-year increase. That number of thefts equates to approximately 180 cargo thefts per day nationwide. Cargo theft is estimated to have cost Class I railroads over $100 million in 2024 alone.
What To Know
The Laurens Police Department wrote in an August 11 Facebook post that the two juveniles, whose names and ages were not made public, purportedly started a locomotive engine that was linked to two others and drove the three engines out of a yard and onto a line toward Greenville, South Carolina.
The connected train subsequently collided with parked railcars while attempting to return the equipment to the yard, causing a derailment and property damage, according to law enforcement officials.
“While attempting to return the engines to the yard, the juveniles collided with parked railcars, causing a derailment of the engine and significant damage to one of the cars,” officials said.
Both juveniles were charged with the following crimes: second-degree burglary; grand larceny (over $10,000); malicious damage to property (over $10,000); willful destruction of railroad property; and injury to railroad.
They are detained at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia.
Investigators opened the case on Saturday evening after the incident reportedly took place between about 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and involved property belonging to Carolina Piedmont Railroad and CSX Transportation.
It remains unclear as to how exactly the suspects gained access to the equipment and how they operated the locomotives.
What People Are Saying
Laurens Police Chief Heath Copeland on Facebook on August 11: “This was a dangerous and reckless act. Railroad property is not a place to play. Trains, rail lines, and yards present serious risks, and unauthorized access can have life-threatening consequences.”
What Happens Next
Laurens Police officers continue to investigate the incident. Law enforcement encourages civilians to report activity that seems out of the ordinary.
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