A Dover High School student died after being struck by an NJ Transit train near Richboynton Road, where a greenway has been in planning since 2007 and where town officials say they have sought safety barriers from NJ Transit.

DOVER—An 18-year-old Dover High School student died after being struck on Thursday evening along the Morris and Essex Line. Cristhofer J. Chavez Huamani was walking the tracks near Richboynton Road when Train 858 struck him around 6:20 PM. The incident happened near a popular but unauthorized swimming area, raising new concerns over a section of town that planners have been trying to solve for nearly twenty years.

The Morris County Medical Examiner's Office has not released an official cause or manner of death. The victim's identity was confirmed by family members through a public fundraising campaign and through social media statements.

Incident Occurred Near Popular Swimming Area

Dover Police Chief Jonathan Delaney said the teen was "walking the tracks on an unseasonably warm evening near a swimming area along the Rockaway River where large groups gather." He added that "town residents and officials have asked NJ Transit for fencing in that area in the past, due to large groups of people gathering near a water hole." Temperatures in the region hit a record-breaking 90 degrees on April 15, and the National Weather Service predicted another scorcher for the following day, weather severe enough to draw swimmers to the river.

Train 858 originated in Mount Olive at 5:56 PM, and was scheduled to arrive in Hoboken at 7:36 PM. NJ Transit canceled the train at Mount Arlington Station following the incident; two Morris and Essex Line trains were also canceled.

Victim A Beloved Son, Dover High School Student

Chavez Huamani’s family has launched a fundraiser to cover funeral expenses and return his body to Peru. The campaign, organized by his mother Erika Huamani, describes him as a "mami's boy" who was "funny, sometimes a little bothersome, but always happy." Dover Schools Superintendent Luis Jaime confirmed the victim was enrolled at Dover High School. Jaime activated crisis counselors and directed families to grief support resources. Dover Mayor James Dodd also issued a statement, saying that the "heartbreaking incident has impacted our entire community."

NJ Transit did not issue a formal press release regarding the incident. At time of writing, the agency's only comment has been the operational alert to social media announcing Train 858's cancellation "due to a trespasser strike." This silence is common for government agencies engaged in incident investigations.

Accident Location Lacked Fencing, Despite Foot Traffic

The accident occurred along an unfenced section of the Morris and Essex Line, a fact pointed out by both Chief Delaney and social media comments. A review of Google Maps satellite imagery captured in October 2025 shows no perimeter fencing along the NJ Transit rail line at that location.

Federal Railroad Administration guidance recommends strategic fencing at trespassing hotspots, but it does not mandate perimeter barriers along rail rights-of-way outside of designated grade crossings. Trespasser prevention is primarily a local law enforcement responsibility under existing federal frameworks.

The location has appeared in planning documents for nearly two decades. The 2007 Dover Master Plan identified the need to abandon the parallel Dover and Rockaway River Railroad freight line through downtown and convert that corridor to a public greenway. The greenway project relates to a separate branch of rail than the NJ Transit line involved in this incident, but the event sheds new light on a problem that planners have spent the last 19 years trying to fix.

In 2008 the New Jersey Department of Transportation allocated $1.8 million to study the Rockaway River Greenway and eliminate 12 grade crossings, and in 2020 it conducted a survey to realign the freight track. The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority's fiscal year 2026 work program lists the project in design phase, while Morris County classifies the realignment as a long-term initiative. No estimated completion date has been filed at time of writing.

The investigation remains active, with NJ Transit Police leading the investigation. The Morris County Prosecutor's Office is assisting. No independent statement has been issued by the prosecutor at time of writing. An OPRA request regarding prior calls from the public for fencing the location is in the process of being filed with the town, with updates to follow.

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Sources

• William Westhoven, Daily Record, "Dover teen struck and killed by train identified; fundraisers underway" (April 19, 2026).

• William Westhoven, NorthJersey.com, "Dover teen struck and killed by New Jersey Transit train" (April 17, 2026).

• David Chmiel, DoverNow.com, "Teen Struck, Killed by NJTransit Train" (April 17, 2026).

• Sam Barron, Daily Voice, "Man Struck, Killed By Train In Morris County: NJ Transit" (April 17, 2026).

• Staff Report, Patch, "Man Hit, Killed By Train On Morris County Tracks" (April 17, 2026).

• Sam Barron, AOL News, "Man Struck, Killed By Train In Dover: NJ Transit" (April 17, 2026).

• @NJTRANSIT_ME, X/Twitter, "Train #858 cancellation alert – trespasser strike" (April 16, 2026).

• Erika Huamani, GoFundMe, "A Loving Farewell for Cristhofer / Una Amorosa Despedida Cris" (April 17, 2026).

• Dover Zoning Board of Adjustment, Resolution: Jersey Central Power and Light Substation, 13 Rich Boynton Road (November 6, 2025).

• Google Maps, Satellite imagery – Richboynton Road corridor, Dover, NJ (October 2025).

• Federal Railroad Administration, Highway-Rail Grade Crossing and Trespass Prevention: Compliance, Procedures, and Programs Manual (October 2019).

• National Weather Service, Record heat event – Paterson, Newark, Bergenfield stations (April 15, 2026).

• Dover Planning Board, Dover Master Plan 2007, Land Use Element (2007).

• Dover Planning Board, Dover Master Plan 2007, Circulation Element (2007).

• New Jersey Department of Transportation, Statewide Transportation Improvement Program FY 2008-09, Project 03348: Rockaway River Greenway and Grade Crossing Elimination Study (2008).

• North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, Dover and Rockaway Rail Realignment Project – Freight Concept Development Study (December 2020).

• Morris County Division of Planning and Preservation, Dover and Rockaway Railroad Realignment Project (2020).