Bergen teen struck by train honored on community day

The annual day of renewal in Bergen -- where community members come out to plant flowers and spruce up parks -- became a time for reflection this morning as the small village honored the memory of Eric C. Wall.

The 16-year-old Bergen resident was struck and killed by a train on Friday afternoon.

Pastors Matt Farrell of the United Methodist Church and Michael Merry of the Presbyterian Church led a short service and Mayor Ralph Marsocci said a few works of condolences.

Merry spoke briefly before singing a song, but said he didn't know what to say on an occasion such as this.

"We have a high school that’s in shock, a community that is in shock," Merry said. "We have people of all different walks of life and none of us know, and I don’t know, how to comfort all of you, but I do know, there is always hope. What I know of Eric and the Wall family, they would want us to continue. They would want us to plant flowers."

Farrell also spoke of hope, the hope that is in the community and the hope promised by Jesus Christ.

After the service, Merry said he's spoken with his own child about the dangers of the train tracks going through the village before, and he wished he had included the same thoughts in his own remarks.

"We have to be careful around the trains," Merry said. "They go by here all the time and so it’s easy to forget about taking basic precautions. We can take them for granted but they are dangerous. By the time a conductor sees you, it's too late. They can't stop quickly at all.

"What I tell my own child," he added,  "is if you see the arms start to come down, stop immediately -- even if you're 20 feet away. You’re not invincible. If you see the arms come down, stop and wait."

After the ceremony, Eric's 12-year-old brother, Grady, helped plant an apple tree in the fountain park less than 50 yards from where Eric was killed. The memorial tree was a gift from the community to young Grady.