Train follows boy walking the rails

JONKOPING, Sweden, May 29 (UPI) -- A train in central Sweden inched along for nearly 2 miles following an 11-year-old autistic boy who was walking barefoot along the railroad tracks, police said.

Passengers on the train wanted to get off to help the boy but staff members told them it was against regulations to open train doors mid-route, Sweden's The Local.se reported.

Witnesses said the boy threw stones at the train and occasionally became so tired he sat down on the tracks and rested, forcing the train to come to a halt.

It took more than 50 minutes before police arrived to take the boy off the tracks.

Authorities said he had left a family outing and somehow found his way to the railroad tracks.