LONGWOOD, Fla. – The Longwood Police Department on Wednesday released the name of the 44-year-old man hit and killed by an Amtrak train last Friday night.
The incident happened in the area of Longwood Street and Church Avenue near the Sunrail Station in Longwood, just north of State Road 434 and just east of Ronald Reagan Boulevard.
Todd Christopher Keller and his friend, Alexander Javier, had been drinking at a neighborhood bar earlier in the evening, according to a police report.
Some time later, the two men left an apartment nearby and decided to head back to the bar.
Keller's friend told police Keller challenged him to outrun the oncoming train and cross the tracks.
His friend said he yelled, “Let’s race the train!” the report said.
Javier sprinted across the tracks and made it to the opposite side, but Keller was struck by the train and killed on impact.
The Jacksonville-bound train was traveling 50 mph with more than 100 people on board.
News 6 records indicate this is the second time in 2019 someone has been killed by an Amtrak train and the 18th time overall since 2014.
Authorities said no injuries were reported from passengers aboard the train.