Crime scene tape blocks off the NJ Transit train station platform at Red Bank while investigators survey the scene of a fatal strike of a 16-year-old. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated from the original post with new information as it became available.
The person struck and killed by New Jersey Transit train in Red Bank on Wednesday morning has been identified by authorities as a 16-year-old student at Red Bank Regional High School.
The youth was struck by train No. 3218, which had departed Long Branch at 6:08 a.m, according to NJ Transit alerts. That train was scheduled to arrive in Red Bank at 6:18 am.
Red Bank Police Chief Mike Frazee confirmed the victim was a student at RBR, adding school officials had been notified.
A spokesperson for NJ Transit said the cause of the incident remains under investigation.
Shortly after 8 am, investigators from NJ Transit Police, Red Bank Police Department and Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office were on the scene while the northbound train remained in the station, stopped just short of the platform.
NJ Transit train service was suspended between Long Branch and Matawan, with a shuttle bus taking northbound passengers to the Aberdeen-Matawan station, where they could board trains to continue along the North Jersey Coast line. Southbound customers could board buses to Long Branch, according to an alert sent out by the agency.
Update: As of 10 am, train service had been restored with trains subject to up to 30 minutes delays, according to NJ Transit updates.
The alert from NJ Transit said the train service suspension was due to a “trespasser fatality”. The strike appeared to have occurred just south of the Chestnut Street grade crossing. The term “trespasser” is a term typically used by railroads to refer to a person who has entered the railroad right of way.
Police at the scene of a fatal train strike in Red Bank on May 13, 2026. (Photo by Brian Donohue)
The train remained stopped across the Chestnut Street grade crossing while the investigation continued, snarling rush hour traffic through the area.
Distraught family members of the deceased gathered in front of St. Anthony of Padua Church a block away from the scene.
redbankgreen will update this post or post additional stories when and if more information becomes available.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331.
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