The Incident
On Monday afternoon, emergency services responded to a call at the level crossing on 476 Street and Centenario Avenue in City Bell, a locality in La Plata. Police from the North Base Patrol Command found a Roca train stopped on the tracks. Nearby, they discovered 19-year-old Matías Agustín Ledesma unconscious and severely injured, with his red and black Honda Tornado motorcycle beside him.[S1]
Medical personnel from SAME arrived minutes later and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but their efforts were unsuccessful, and Ledesma was pronounced dead at the scene. According to witness accounts, Ledesma was traveling along 476 Street when he reached the crossing. Despite the barrier being lowered, he proceeded against the direction of traffic to cross the tracks and was struck by the train.[S1][S2]
Investigation
The case has been classified as "death by accident" and is under the jurisdiction of the Functional Instruction and Trial Unit No. 10 of La Plata, led by Carlos Vercellone. Authorities ordered the preservation of the scene to conduct forensic examinations and determine the exact circumstances of the incident.[S1][S2]
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Recent Similar Accidents
This accident occurs just weeks after a similar event in Buenos Aires City. On August 20, a delivery cyclist crossed the tracks with the barrier down and was killed by a Sarmiento train in the Flores neighborhood. The 35-year-old worker's body was found under the train after the incident around 2:10 PM at the Granaderos Street crossing.[S1]
Two months earlier, a Tren de la Costa train collided with a car driven by journalist and actress Ernestina Pais at a crossing on Sáenz Peña and El Cano. Security cameras recorded the sequence, showing Pais attempting to cross diagonally, avoiding two barriers. She died from severe head trauma. Prosecutor Carolina Asprella concluded her death was accidental and closed the case.[S1]
