The nine-year-old child with autism that was killed after being hit by a train in Plantersville Tuesday has been identified as Andrew Paul Carter.

According to Chief Deputy Randy Pugh with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, Carter was playing on the railroad tracks that run by his home on County Road 63 Tuesday morning when he was hit by a train.

“He was apparently playing on the railroad track,” Pugh said in a Tuesday interview. “The conductor observed him from a few hundred yards away, but he could not stop the train in time, and [the train] hit him.”

According to Pugh, Carter was killed instantly.

Carter was a third grade student at J.E. Terry Elementary School, but he was at home Tuesday. According to Dallas County Superintendent Don Willingham, Carter was expected to finish out the school year at home.

“It is just a sad accident that happened,” Willingham said Tuesday after hearing the news of Carter’s death. “We’re so sorry for the family.”

According to Pugh, investigators said a parent was at home when Carter was struck by the train.

“The parent was at home inside of the house. We’re still investigating that,” Pugh said Tuesday.

“The child does have some medical issues. He is autistic, so we’re trying to do an investigation now to see why he was unsupervised outside and get more details on that.”

No update on the investigation has been released as of Thursday night.

Willingham said Tuesday that extra counselors would be on campus at J.E. Terry to help students and teachers cope with Carter’s tragic death.

“If there is anything special we need to do, we’ll be on hand at the school to help any of the students deal with it,” Willingham said.

Funeral arrangements were also released Thursday. Visitation will be tomorrow night from 5-7 p.m. and funeral services will be Sunday. at 3 p.m. Both will be at Lawrence Brown Service Funeral Home.