Two Kansas boys die trying to outrun train that struck them on railroad bridge
Two boys walking along a railroad bridge were struck by a train and killed Wednesday in southeast Kansas.
They were identified as 16-year-old Arthur Pollries and 12-year-old Kollin Showalter. Pollries is from Walnut and Showalter is from Erie, Kansas Highway Patrol crash logs show.
The relationship between the boys and why they were walking along the bridge are unclear. The Neosho County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for more details.
Neosho County 911 received a call at 12:39 p.m. Wednesday from Union Pacific Railroad saying that two people had been struck by a train on the Neosho River railroad bridge, roughly two miles south of Erie, the sheriff’s office said Thursday.
The train had been heading south on the bridge when it struck the two boys, who were also heading south on foot and were unable to outrun the train.
Authorities arrived and found Pollries’ body. A search was launched to find Showalter’s body, according to the KHP.
“Unfortunately after reviewing the footage and physical evidence at the scene, the search went from hopeful rescue effort to a recovery effort,” a NCSO news release said.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks was asked to help in the search and brought in a drone and boat. The KHP sent troopers, a helicopter and search dogs.
“The Neosho River is currently rising, nearly bank full, with a very swift current, and full of debris,” the sheriff’s office said Wednesday. “Due to extremely dangerous condition, the recovery effort will resume in the morning. We have specialized swift water teams coming to assist with the ongoing search.”
Erie, near where the incident occurred, is a town of roughly 1,047 and 122 miles east of Wichita.
This story was originally published June 19, 2025 at 1:21 PM.