A mother is grieving her “beautiful” 18-year-old son who tragically died yesterday while listening to music while walking and was fatally struck by a train.

Emergency services were called to reports of a person being hit by a train on Mathias St, near State Highway 73, Darfield about 7.15am on Wednesday.

Shaun Reynolds, 18, died at the scene.

His devastated mother Sharon Reynolds Whaea posted a powerful tribute on social media and said her son was “vibing along to his music dancing along the train tracks as he often does and was hit by the train”.

Shaun Reynolds, 18, was fatally struck by a train while listening to music and walking on the tracks at Darfield in Canterbury.

She said nobody was at fault.

“As a whanau right now, we need your prayers and love, and thank you all for that. For now, we know the race before him has ended, and he is with Jesus. Amen.”

His sister posted a tribute to him on Facebook saying she was “broken” at her “beautiful” brother’s death.

Shaun Reynolds, 18, was fatally struck by a train at Darfield as he was walking on the tracks while listening to music. Image / Star News

A friend posted on Facebook saying he was “enjoying his life, early start to the day, tunes blasting and hit by a bloody train”.

 “Things can change in an instant no matter how safe you feel in the circumstances.”

A police spokesperson earlier said inquiries into the circumstances of what happened were ongoing.

A KiwiRail spokesperson said the collision was at a level crossing that had warning lights and bells.

More than $7 million was invested by Auckland Transport and the New Zealand Transport Agency for new automatic gates and hazard lights at 11 level crossings in Auckland after a raft of near-misses and deaths on the tracks.

In April 2017, 16-year-old Keenan Matthes accidentally crossed railway tracks in front of a train at the Metcalfe Rd level crossing in Ranui, West Auckland.

Since his death, his parents Presley and Karamea Matthes have been campaigning for all level crossings to be fitted with automatic gates throughout New Zealand.

Yesterday’s fatal accident also comes after a stolen car was hit by a train in Christchurch on Tuesday morning.

The Toyota Prius involved, driven by what the Herald understands were “a couple of teens” had been fleeing police before it was struck by the train on Lincoln Rd in Addington, Christchurch.

Sam Sherwood is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers crime. He is a senior journalist who joined the Herald in 2022, and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.