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.”
The heartbreaking incident also brought back memories of another loss that had shaken a community just a few years earlier. In 2011, three teens — Savannah Webster, 13, her sister Kelsea, 15, and their friend Essa Ricker, 15 — died in Utah’s Spanish Fork Canyon while spending time near the railroad tracks. They had intended to capture a striking photo together but were caught off guard by a train coming from the opposite direction.
Both tragedies serve as painful reminders of how quickly moments of joy can turn dangerous near train tracks. Families and safety advocates continue to urge young people to avoid railroad areas, emphasizing that trains often appear faster and wider than they seem.
For Christine DeReggi, sharing her son’s story is not only a way to honor his memory but also a way to encourage others to take caution. “The moments before were beautiful,” she said, holding onto the photos of John’s final afternoon — images that captured his smile, his laughter, and his love of life.
While nothing can erase the pain of losing him, those memories remain a testament to who John was: a bright, adventurous teen whose spirit continues to inspire those who knew and loved him.
