Police are investigating where and how a mother and her two daughters entered the tracks before all three were critically injured.
ECORSE, Mich. — Authorities had not determined Monday exactly how a mother and her two daughters came into the path of a train near Ecorse High School, leaving the location and circumstances of the crossing at the center of an investigation into a collision that critically injured all three.
The family was struck around 7:30 p.m. Sunday near railroad tracks in the area of Jefferson Avenue and Outer Drive, according to local reporting. All three were taken to a hospital alive and were listed in critical condition Sunday night. Their ages and identities had not been publicly confirmed.
Reports said the mother and daughters were trying to cross the tracks when they were struck, but authorities had not released enough information to establish precisely where they entered the rail corridor. Police had not said whether they were at a designated pedestrian or roadway crossing, crossing somewhere else along the tracks or encountering any type of warning equipment immediately before the collision.
That distinction is important to the investigation. Railroad crossings can have different combinations of gates, lights, bells, signs and pavement markings, while other portions of a railroad right of way are not intended as public crossing points. No evidence had been released showing what type of location was involved in Sunday’s incident.
Michigan has about 4,800 public railroad crossings, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. The state assesses the physical condition and safety needs of public crossings, while railroads and road agencies have separate responsibilities for maintaining crossing surfaces, warning devices and related roadway equipment.
Authorities had not reported a malfunction involving any crossing equipment in the Ecorse collision. They also had not identified the railroad or train operator, disclosed the train’s speed or direction, or said whether a locomotive camera or nearby surveillance system recorded what happened.
The Federal Railroad Administration distinguishes between incidents at designated crossings and trespassing on railroad rights of way. The agency says railroad property should be accessed only at authorized pedestrian or roadway crossings. Investigators in Ecorse had not classified Sunday’s incident as a trespassing case, and the available information does not establish that the family was outside a designated crossing.
Ecorse police had not issued a detailed statement by early Monday. WWJ Newsradio reported that the three were believed to have been on foot, although police had not confirmed that detail. FOX 2 Detroit reported that each suffered head trauma, but the full extent of their injuries remained unknown.
The investigation remained open Monday, with the exact path taken by the family and the sequence of events before impact still unresolved. Authorities had not announced any criminal allegations or released a new medical update on the mother and her daughters.
Author note: Last updated October 5, 2026.