In 2011, a heartbreaking tragedy took place in Utah that left a community devastated and serves as a chilling reminder of how quickly life can change.
Three teenage girlsEssa Ricker, Kelsea Webster, and Kelsea’s younger sister, Savannah were spending time near train tracks, something they reportedly loved to do. The teens were known to be fans of trains and had gone to a railroad crossing in Covered Bridge Canyon to take photos and enjoy the passing trains.
As they stood near the tracks, the girls waved at a train coming in one direction, likely feeling excited and carefree in the moment. What they didn’t realize, though, was that another train a large freight train was coming from the opposite direction on a second track.
The two trains were only about three to four feet apart, leaving very little space in between. The girls were directly in that narrow gap.
Just moments before the tragedy, Savannah had posted a message on Facebook saying, “Standing right by a train ahaha this is awesome!!!!” capturing their excitement.
They even took a selfie, completely unaware that the bright yellow lights in the background belonged to a fast-approaching train heading straight toward them. In that photo, they smiled, unaware they were only seconds away from disaster.
The train engineer saw them and blew the horn multiple times, trying to warn them. But the sound of the first train and the girls’ focus on their experience seemed to drown out the warning.
One of the conductors, John Anderson, described watching in horror as the train approached and there was nothing they could do to stop it in time. He said the girls appeared to be in their “own little world.
Essa and Kelsea were killed instantly by the oncoming train. Savannah, the youngest of the three, was still alive when emergency crews arrived. She was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery, but the doctors soon realized her brain injuries were too severe for her to recover. Her parents made the painful decision to remove her from life support later that day.
Their mother, Jayna Webster, later wrote on her blog that it was time to say goodbye to “an angel that walked among us,” referring to Savannah. It was a message filled with grief and love, showing just how deeply this loss cut through the family.
This tragedy shocked many and raised awareness about the dangers of being near train tracks, especially when distracted by photos or social media.
What started as a fun moment ended in unimaginable heartbreak. The image they took just before the accident became symbolic a beautiful memory clouded by a missed warning and a split-second misjudgment that led to devastating consequences.
