MOM PUSHES TWO YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO SAFETY BEFORE BEING FATALLY STRUCK BY TRAIN

PEOPLE

 

Hero Mom Pushes 2-Year-Old Daughter in Stroller to Safety Before Being Fatally Struck by Train

By Gina Kalsi  Published on July 13, 2026 12:28PM EDT

 

A 26-year-old mom pushed her 2-year-old daughter out of harm’s way before being fatally struck by a train in Germany.

 

The incident happened at a pedestrian crossing near a railway line in Leingarten on Saturday, July 11, at around 7:45 p.m. local time, according to a press release by Heilbronn Police Headquarters.

 

The unidentified mom, who was pushing a stroller, was struck by the train and died at the scene, officials added. The accident occurred at the Leingarten-Mitte level crossing, around 93 miles from Frankfurt, German news outlet SWR reported.

 

The train’s emergency brake was activated, and none of the 43 passengers were injured, according to police. The woman’s 2-year-old child was also unharmed.

 

Officials have since launched an investigation into the incident.

 

The woman is believed to have pushed the stroller off the tracks at the last moment, saving her child, the outlet reported.

 

The crossing has a pedestrian traffic light and a warning sound, according to SWR. A police spokesperson told the outlet that both of these safety features were working at the time, and there was no sign of the technology being faulty.

 

The train that hit the woman was identified as the RE45 regional express train on the Heilbronn–Karlsruhe line by the Heilbronner Stimme newspaper. Service does not stop at Leingarten-Mitte station, the paper noted.

 

The line was closed in both directions for four-and-a-half hours on Saturday as emergency services attended the scene, German news channel Tagesschau reported.

 

Police are now planning to analyze the train’s data, along with continuing to interview witnesses and commission an expert report, according to Bild.

 

Heilbronn Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.