Girl, 17, killed by Amtrak train in Kent

A 17-year-old Kent girl was killed just before noon Monday when a southbound Amtrak train hit her as she was walking across railroad tracks.

Witnesses said the teenager wasn't looking at the train and appeared to be talking on a cell phone, a Kent police spokesman said.

The accident happened about 200 yards north of James Street, where there is no crossing control, police spokesman Paul Petersen said.

It was reported at 11:45 a.m.

The King County Medical Examiner's Office was verifying the teenager's identity and contacting her family.

"Right now, this appears to be a tragic accident," Petersen said. "We did find a cell phone in the immediate area.

"Walking on or crossing any railroad tracks is very dangerous. The trains appear to be going much slower than they really are traveling, and a train takes a very long distance to stop. The railroads are adamant, that except at built-up intersections, walking on the tracks is trespassing, not to mention very dangerous."

The train originated in Bellingham and was heading to Portland with 168 passengers. It was delayed about an hour, Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said.