A Mother Remembers Her Son: The Story of John DeReggi and the Importance of Safety

What began as a lighthearted afternoon in rural Maryland quickly turned into a day that would forever change one family. In September 2015, 16-year-old John DeReggi was out with his girlfriend and her twin sister, working on a photography project for school. The assignment was designed to capture images with the theme “youth and the pathway yet to come.” For the three teenagers, it was meant to be a fun way to showcase creativity, laughter, and their bright futures.

John, full of energy, was balancing playfully on the tracks as the girls snapped photos. In those moments, his mother later said, he was smiling, happy, and at peace. None of them could have predicted what would happen next.

As they worked on their project, an Amtrak train appeared on the line, moving at high speed. The powerful gust from the oncoming train pushed the girls back just far enough to escape danger. John, however, was unable to move in time. The tragedy left his friends in shock and his family devastated.

“He loved adventure,” John’s mother, Christine DeReggi, told ABC News. “He wasn’t reckless, but he definitely loved to laugh and have fun. The moments before my son died are beautiful. He’s happy. You can see it’s just them doing a sweet project together.”

Christine shared that she first learned of the accident through a call from her son’s girlfriend, who had been there in the final moments. “They just escaped,” she recalled of the girls. “It was almost a triple tragedy… it happened so quickly.”