Turlock Boy Hit, Killed By Train

TURLOCK (CBS13) - A 12-year-old boy was hit and killed by a train in Turlock on Tuesday night.

The accident happened on Paulson Road. After a brief search, Stanislaus County sheriff's deputies found the boy's body underneath the train.

"They were literally looking for a body. They had flashlights searching up and down the tracks," said neighbor Heidi Jones.

Neighbors watched in horror as investigators pulled 12-year-old Richard Riggs' body from the train tracks.

Deputies got the call for help around 9 p.m. Tuesday night.

Investigators say the boy lived close by but they wouldn't say why he was alone on the tracks.

A neighbor told CBS13 that she believes the boy was autistic.

People in the rural Turlock area heard the commotion.

"I heard a train go by and all of the sudden I heard the breaks stop and I was like 'Oh my god, someone got hit,'" said Loretta Smith.

"It's sad for us because we live just across the railroad," said Maria Perez.

Deputies are having a tough time finding witnesses who saw what happened moments before the deadly crash.

"It's upsetting me, upsetting, real sad," said Jones.

Deputies say it doesn't appear the child was neglected and there's no foul play as the investigation continues.

Neighbors say this is the second crash involving a train in the past week.