TWO YOE HIGH STUDENTS TRAGICALLY KILLED IN AUTO TRAIN WRECK

(CAMERON)  Two Yoe High students were killed instantly Tuesday afternoon when the  pickup they were in was struck by a Burlington Northern Santa Fe passenger train.  Pronounced dead at the scene were Brian Reinders and Travis Mueck, both Yoe High Juniors.  The accident happened shortly before 5 p.m. at the Houston Street railroad intersection as the two were leaving Milam Grain Feed Store.   

Funeral services have been announced by Marek Burns Laywell Funeral Home in Cameron.  A combined rosary service will be held Thursday at 6:00 P.M. at the Yoe High Gymnasium.  Funeral services for Travis Mueck will be held Friday at 10 A.M. at St. Monica's Catholic Church, with burial to follow at St. Monica's Cemetery.  Services for Brian Reinders will be held Friday at 2 P.M. also at St. Monica's with burial in St. Michael's Cemetery in Burlington.

Basketball games with Caldwell were cancelled, and the Yoe High Gym became a sanctuary for grieving students and faculty.  Counselors and ministers were on hand to help students cope with the loss.  News also traveled quickly to Caldwell where the girls' basketball team had just arrived.  Those games were also cancelled and the teams returned home. 

Yoe High Principal Clint MacMahon said Counselors will be available throughout the day Wednesday and ministers from across the community are invited to help students cope with the grief. 

It was an afternoon of disbelief for many.  Athletic Director Mike Mullins said the two had just left the field house an hour before the accident.  A mother said her daughter was with the two at lunch, and were good friends. 

Yoe High Counselor Kimberly Hudson told KMIL News that there is a procedure in place for tragedies such as this.  She said counselors will be pulled from other campuses and students can talk alone with a counselor, or meet in groups.   MacMahon said Scott & White grief counselors may also be called to assist. 

Brian and Travis had just left Milam Grain and headed south across the tracks.  Friends standing outside the Feed Store unsuccessfully tried to warn the two about the oncoming train as they drove off.  The southbound train struck the passenger door broad side and pushed the Chevrolet pickup some 300 feet. 

Information about the speed of the passenger train at the time of impact was unavailable Tuesday night.  The passenger train, known as the "Officers' Special" was en route from Kansas City to Houston. 

The Houston Street Crossing is an unprotected crossing and is rarely used by the public.