Girl, 6, Facing Mother’s Death, Kills Herself

A 6-year-old girl fought off two siblings and a cousin to stay on train tracks as a locomotive bore down, telling them she wanted “to become an angel and be with her mother.”

At the last minute, Jackie Johnson turned her back to the train and closed her eyes. The train threw her 20 feet, breaking her neck. Authorities said she was the youngest suicide victim in Broward County’s history.

“I told her to get off the train tracks,” said Lakita Wimberly, 7, Jackie’s cousin. “She said ‘No, I don’t want to. I want to die.’ ”

Jackie was living with relatives because her mother, Carla Johnson, has a terminal illness, authorities said. The nature of the illness was not disclosed.

The mother had apparently tried to prepare the child for the impending loss of a parent by reassuring her that angels in heaven would watch over the mother, friends said.

A team of 12 psychological counselors met with teachers and students at Dania Elementary School Wednesday to talk about the incident.

“We want to make sure kids don’t think this is glamorous . . . a thing to do,” said Sisty Walsh, a spokeswoman for Broward public schools.

Jackie was walking to Dania Elementary School with her 7-year-old sister, Stephanie, her 8-year-old brother, Valerius Fox, and the cousin when they crossed the tracks Tuesday.

“The other three children stood clear of the tracks as the 63-car northbound train approached,” said Jim Leljedal, a spokesman for the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. “But Jackie deliberately remained in its path.”

Authorities said the train was moving about 35 m.p.h. The engineer blew the horn and tried to slow the train but could not stop.