Family members mourn boy hit and killed by train

ZEPHYRHILLS (FOX 13) - The family members of a 2-year-old boy who was hit and killed by a train in Zephyrhills are in shock and finding it hard to talk about the tragic loss.

Pasco County detectives said Hunter Fink, his 4-year-old sister, their babysitter and her friend were walking along the railroad tracks near Paul S. Buchman Highway and Pattie Road Monday morning.

As the group crossed a train tressel over the Hillsborough River, a train came.

The friend, Cody Williams, grabbed the sister and jumped to safety.

But Hunter and his babysitter, Heather Henderson, 26, were both hit by the train.

The child died.

Henderson has since been released from the hospital.

"Very upsetting. I pity the parents," said John Heminger, who lives near the tracks. "They entrusted  their loved ones to somebody that -- you see the results."

Heminger said he constantly hears people playing on the tracks behind his house.

It's been such a concern he and his neighbors have put up several 'No Trespassing' signs.

There are also signs on the tracks, installed by CSX.

Heminger said he heard the train blowing its horn Monday.

Not long after that, he saw ambulances.

"I seen the ambulance go down there and I thought it was for the neighbors," he told FOX 13, adding he quickly realized his neighbor was fine but a child was not. "I seen it and it's something that  nobody needs to see or wants to see and I'd rather not talk about it anymore.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said he hopes others learn from this tragedy.

"In this community, there's a lot of people we know that goes on these tracks," Nocco said. "If  there's anything that can be taken from this maybe that other people take this and realize playing on  these tracks, it's not a game. There was a tragedy. There is a family that lost a little boy."

"I hope it sends a message to everbody that's ever been back there: it's not a place to play,"  Heminger said, adding he worries this might happen again and wonders whether he could have helped  prevent it. "I think about it all the time and now I think about -- I wish I would have heard them  people down there."

Hunter's family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover Hunter's funeral costs.

They were too distraught to talk about what happened.

(https://www.gofundme.com/we-lost-an-angel)

Investigators have not yet decided whether Henderson will face charges; they are still reviewing evidence including video from the CSX train.

FOX 13 stopped by Henderson's house but she wasn't home.