11-year-old girl critical, loses leg after being struck by train in Southwest Philly

A teenager is in critical condition after police say she was struck by a train in Southwest Philadelphia on Wednesday.

"I saw all the cops and ambulance and fire trucks going up there," said 12-year old Alayah Stephens and 14-year old Fahimah Muhammad. They're still in shock over what happened to their friend on these train tracks in Southwest Philadelphia.

"And I'm like, 'It's serious.' Then we all ran to my house," said Alayah. The girls say they were with a group of friends who were walking to the park after getting out of school at Richard Allen Preparatory Charter Wednesday afternoon. Alayah says about eight of the kids walked off toward these train tracks near 56th and Gray Avenue.

"Then I told them don't go on the train tracks because my brother busted his head open back there because he was playing on the train tracks," she said. But the kids went. Moments later, all but one of them came running back crying.

"They just came out the train tracks screaming her leg fell off. Her leg fell off," said Fahimah.

Police say an 11-year old girl, whose name we're not giving because police have not released it, was run over by the wheels of a CSX freight train while walking on the track area. They say the girl suffered critical injuries to her left leg, and her right leg was severed at the thigh. Investigators say the train did not stop because the conductor wasn't aware that a person was hit.

"She's a very sweet little girl. Very sweet little girl," said Komeh Tunica-El who says she knows the girl because her daughter goes to the same school.

"She's very respectful and does well in school so for this to occur is really touching because no one deserves this," she said.

Police say train officials came to the scene and identified a possible train. They are reviewing surveillance video.