Train victim identified as 13-year-old middle school student
GREENSBORO — A Hairston Middle School student struck and killed by a train Thursday was remembered as a quiet, funny young man, according to his classmates.
Cristian Bryan Ayala-Martinez, 13, was a seventh-grader at the Greensboro school, police said.
Students walking home on Friday said they learned of their schoolmate’s death from teachers that morning.
Lekasha Ejindu, a 12-year-old seventh-grader, said she became friends with Cristian when the two were in sixth grade and that he was a good friend who would help her with homework.
Joselle Trinity, 14, an eighth-grader, said she spent time with Cristian at her house last summer.
“He was quiet, fun to hang out with,” Joselle said.
Police said Cristian was not at school Thursday and didn’t come home on Thursday night.
Greensboro police Lt. Dennis Willoughby said the boy’s body couldn’t be identified Thursday because of his injuries.
On Friday, police were able to confirm Cristian’s identity using fingerprints, Willoughby said.
Cristian was walking toward the school, east down the center of the train tracks, parallel with the 3100 block of East Market Street when he was struck, Willoughby said.
The boy had an iPod with him. Willoughby said Cristian could have been listening to it, but police likely will never know why he didn’t notice the train behind him.
Police consider his death an accident, Willoughby said.
“We really don’t know what was going through the young man’s mind,” Willoughby said.
André Ragland, 14, an eighth-grader at Hairston, said he had been on the school’s soccer team with Cristian, and the boys walked home on a similar route — partially on the train tracks.
Andre said he would continue to walk that way because he said it’s faster.
The train incident occurred about 9:35 a.m. Thursday west of the intersection of East Market Street, Franklin Boulevard and Burlington Road less than a mile from the school.
The train involved was an Amtrak train on a route from Charlotte to New York. None of the train passengers was injured, according to an Amtrak spokeswoman.
Guilford County Schools spokeswoman Haley Miller said the district’s crisis team went to Hairston on Friday to provide counseling for any student or employee who needed it.
Sam Matthews, an eighth-grade student at Hairston, said Cristian was well liked.
“I heard he was a good guy. He was a member of the soccer team and he was friendly,” Sam said. “Some people feel like it’s not their concern, and others are worried about him and they are upset.”
Cristian’s family could not be reached for comment.
Staff photographer H. Scott Hoffmann contributed to this report.
Contact Sonja Elmquist at 373-7090 or sonja. elmquist@news-record.com
Accompanying Photos
Photo Caption: The train involved was Amtrak train 80 on its Carolinian route from Charlotte to New York.
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