SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - A tragic investigation is underway in Springfield after a toddler was reportedly struck and killed by an Amtrak train. The girl was found with severe injuries next to the train tracks behind Emily Street in Indian Orchard.

We spoke with a few neighbors on Thursday; they told us that this tragedy is really unlike anything they’d seen before.

It was a scene of chaos near Emily Street on Wednesday night, as reportedly, a 21-month-old girl was hit and killed by an Amtrak train. Neighbors saw the whole thing unfold, and the reaction from the family, “then there’s a little girl, she was the sister of the one that got hit. And she was, like, freaking out,” Chuck from Indian Orchard said, “then the police grabbed her, and she, they put her in a cruiser. I don’t know, you know, for safety, I guess.”

Officers responded around 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday evening, after the train operator stopped and flagged down a driver, who then called 911. Officers arrived on the scene and provided aid, but after she was transported to Baystate Medical Center, she was pronounced dead.

Police and other officials were still on the scene Thursday, inspecting the area of the train tracks where the girl was found. Police also said that a 51A was filed with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, which is used to investigate any reported abuse or neglect from a parent or a legal guardian.

Springfield Police spokesperson Springfield Police said its very uncommon for young children to be involved in these types of accidents, “We rarely see children playing there or have calls involving children near the tracks. So, in the past, there have been incidents involving people in trains, and it’s just the trains come just so quickly. By the time you can hear their horn, it’s already going by you oftentimes.

A neighbor who wished to remain off camera says that she can’t imagine what the family must be going through, “I feel so badly for the family, and it’s, it’s just devastating to hear that something like that could happen.”

Western Mass News also reached out for a comment from Amtrak Police but have not heard back at this time.

Copyright 2026 Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.