By Steve Powell
spowell@marysvilleglobe.com
MARYSVILLE – The celebration of life will take place Sunday for the 18-year-old girl killed by a passenger train near Silvana July 8.
Tuesday morning, Stephani Moser’s dad, Scott, posted this message on his daughter’s Facebook site.
“To all of my friends, I loved you all, we laughed and cried together, shared good times and bad. I have been called home to heaven and do so willingly. I’m so sorry that my passing was terrible but my body was only a vessel for my soul. It’s ok to be mad, sad, cry and laugh as you remember the good and not so good times we had.
“Know that I am at Peace.
“My Dad is having celebration of my life this coming Sunday at the Church of Christ at 4 PM in Marysville, WA. Please contact my dad for more information.
“From Scott Moser on behalf of me.”
Last Saturday, witnesses say Stephani was standing on a railroad trestle when a train came around a corner heading north, Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Shari Ireton said.
The train operator sounded a horn, and the girl attempted to flee. But the train, which was going about 60 miles per hour, struck the girl, and she died at the scene. The tragedy occurred at about 5:19 p.m. just south of the road’s bridge in the 1900 block of Pioneer Highway.
Moser started a GoFundMe account. In one day 47 people donated $3,545. Within two days the entire $4,500 was raised.
In the request, Moser asked for donations to help pay for her cremation and celebration of life. He also said funds were needed for airfare to bring her mom and half-brother up from California. This is not the only tragedy to happen at that location.
In May 2015, Kristi Bartz, 17, of Snohomish also was with friends at the popular swimming spot. She and the two others were on the trestle over the Stillaguamish River.
An Everett boy jumped into the water, but Bartz and an Edmonds girl tried to get off the bridge. That train blew its horn and applied the emergency brake. The other girl made it to the side as the train passed, but Bartz was struck by the train, which was going about 40 mph.
Moser told KOMO News that he wants BNSF to do more to keep people off the bridge. There are warning signs, but that’s not enough.
“My daughter was wrong. She didn’t deserve to die though,” Moser said. “I don’t want any other parent to have to go through this. It seems to me that the railroad has not done really, in my opinion, anything to try to stop it.”
“BNSF wants the public to be aware that ‘Trains move at any time, on any track, in any direction,” railroad spokesman Gus Melonas said, adding there there have been 10 fatalities on BNSF tracks statewide this year.
The train reportedly was operated by Rocky Mountaineer, a Canadian rail-tour company that includes Seattle on its mostly western Canada routes.
Gord Miller, vice president of rail operations for that company, said in a statement: “We can confirm there was an incident involving our train traveling from Seattle to Vancouver. We are working with local authorities on their investigation. We are not able to comment on specific details of the incident as the investigation is ongoing.”
Despite his grief, Moser showed compassion for the train’s operator.
“I can imagine the hopeless feeling that the engineer had,” Moser said. “He can’t stop the train in time.”
Editor’s note: KOMO News 4 reports were included in this story.
