WASHINGTON 鈥� After a聽13-year-old Fairfax County girl was fatally struck by a train in Virginia, her mother is remembering her as a fearless girl with a bright smile.
A Virginia Railway Express train hit and killed Reyhan Safoglu Wednesday while she was out on a hike with her 21-year-old brother and 13-year-old cousin.
Reyhan鈥檚 mother, Emel Safoglu of Burke, said the two teens made the tragic mistake of getting onto a rail bridge in rural Clifton, Virginia. Seconds after making that choice, the mother said they heard the horn of an oncoming train.
鈥淎nd they started running 鈥� her cousin said run, and then he jumped and he told her to jump, too,鈥� Emel said.
Reyhan didn鈥檛 jump and was struck by the train. She died at the scene, according to police.
At first, her son tried to carry his sister to the car after wrapping her head with his T-shirt, the mother said. He then stopped and called Emel, who was at a funeral for a friend in Rockville.
鈥淭he next thing I know, I鈥檓 getting a phone call from my son saying his sister鈥檚 dead, Reyhan’s dead, Reyhan’s dead, just screaming,鈥� the single mother of two said.
“We were three people, we were Three Musketeers. We were so tight,” she added. “And now, we’re two.”
The heartbroken mother said what happened to her daughter was an accident, and she doesn’t want anybody to blame themselves for what happened.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want my son, or her cousin, or the conductor or anybody to feel like it鈥檚 their fault.鈥�
Emel said she believes it was her daughter鈥檚 time. But Reyhan didn鈥檛 waste a moment, according to the mother.
Reyhan loved the outdoors and being active, she said. The seventh grader at Lake Braddock Secondary School played many sports, was a member of a cheer squad, and still had time to be in the choir, orchestra and to teach herself ukulele, Emel recalled.
鈥淚t was almost like she knew her time here on Earth was short.”
Since her daughter鈥檚 death, Emel believes Reyhan鈥檚 spirit is still around; one sign, she said, was a firefly that flew into her house hours after the accident. Reyhan loved fireflies and this one, the mother said, flew up to her.
鈥淚 was like 鈥楻eyhan, hi Reyhan, I love you. It鈥檚 OK, just go to heaven, honey. It鈥檚 OK; we鈥檙e going to join you there soon,鈥� and then, it just flew away.鈥�
The support from the community after the tragedy has been overwhelming, Emel said. After the accident, two were set up by friends and family, raising enough money for the mom to bury Reyhan and give her daughter the celebration Emel believes she deserves.
