Don't lay down on train tracks, especially when you are sleepy

Last year, a couple of girls fell asleep on some train tracks and, surprise surprise, they got ran over by a train (and, luckily, only suffered a foot and a leg amputation).

Yesterday, I saw this report on NPR "2 Teen Girls, Injured by Train, Cope With Change." I listened to it hoping that it would redeem my impression of these two children and their parents as complete fools. I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt in cases like these, but it was particularly difficult in this case: Even if they did not intend to take a nap, even if they held in their minds a belief that the tracks were unused, in what circumstances can you excuse two girls for laying down on train tracks?

Anyway, I listened to that story and, if anything, it actually made my opinion of these two girls and their parents worse then it was before. I don't like being judgmental. I sometimes find myself going out of my way to assume people are better, kinder, cleverer than they seem. But I'm having a really hard time with this story.