Man struck and killed by Amtrak train last week was “racing the train," Longwood police say

The Orlando Sentinel ^ | November 27, 2019 | Katie Rice

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

One of the last sentences said by the 44-year-old man struck and killed by an Amtrak train in Longwood Friday was shouted to a friend as the two walked to a neighborhood pub: “Let’s race the train!”

Alexander Javier, the 24-year-old friend, made it across the tracks. Todd Keller did not.

The Longwood Police Department released details about Keller’s death Wednesday afternoon.

According to the incident report, Keller and Javier had been drinking at Connolly’s Pub earlier in the night and had gone to Javier’s apartment for awhile before deciding to head back to the pub.

The men were walking on a nearby sidewalk on Church Avenue, around the Longwood Sunrail Station, when they saw a train approaching.

Javier told police Keller challenged him to a race, and the two men ran toward the railroad crossing.

After Javier crossed the tracks, he looked back to see a train rapidly approaching Keller and he yelled at Keller to stop, the report said.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

DANG!

[Dr. Sivana]

The one place where the tie never goes to the runner.

[Dr. Sivana]

And yes, this is a milder Florida Man story.

[lee martell]

Even when knuckle dragging drunk, the average 24 y/o will be faster than the average 44 y/o who is equally drunk.
What a way to go.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Darwin doing his job.

[txnativegop]

Idiots always find interesting ways to kill themselves. One less jerk to deal with. LOL

[Zuriel]

Where’s that 2004 pic of prez candidate Jon Carry walking on a shiny railroad rail in front of the worshipping presstitutes?

[Deaf Smith]

He died doing what he loved.

S/ !!

[Drew68]

I went to college with a girl who lost both her feet in a drunken game with a train.

The train won, as it usually does.

[Big Red Badger]

“Doing What
He loved,,,”
.
Hamburger
Comes to mind.

[bigbob]

Feel bad for the train engineer who has to live with this.

[Mark17]

Idiots always find interesting ways to kill themselves. One less jerk to deal with. LOL

I used to watch a thousand ways to die. Some people are very creative, in how they choose to off themselves.

[coaster123]

Don’t drink at all, ever.

[Bratch]

"He saw the train
And tried to duck it
Kicked first the gas
And then the bucket"

— Burma-Shave

 

[Blood of Tyrants]

I used to race alongside of a slow moving train on my bike when I was a kid but it never once occurred to me to try to cross in front of it while I was racing it.

[lightman]

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

I cross an Amtrak track when I go for a walk. The trains move fast and arrive at the crossing faster than you’d think. Racing one is a race a pedestrian is likely to lose, as this guy found out.

And what a terrible thing he did to his friend, the witness, the Amtrak crew, the first responders, etc.

[ChildOfThe60s]

I went to high school in the 60s in Longwood. Two of my classmates were racing a car and a motorcycle on a dirt road that crossed the railroad tracks. As best I can remember they didn’t pay attention to the fact there was a train coming. It took one of them out. The story was he was spread around in pieces.

[Rannug]

Win some. Lose some.