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Railroaders' Nostalgia > Halloween Horror on the Southern Pacific


Date: 10/29/24 23:37
Halloween Horror on the Southern Pacific
Author: Westbound

Years ago when I was a boy, Halloween was an early evening event, when children put on a mask or a simple costume and walked door to door, trick or treating for candy. Today adults have taken over and go all out to celebrate (exactly what?), some even converting their front yards into graveyard scenes with special effects. Wearing a disguise to work was once unheard of.  

On October 31, 1979 I was driving to my office in San Jose when I got a radio call that SP Commute train #123 had struck and killed someone at the Palo Alto station. Train #123 was a westward train for San Francisco with the Palo Alto stop scheduled for 7:08 AM. The train was still stopped when I arrived and as always, would never move until granted a release by the Coroner.  A number of passengers in the platform area had been horrified by what they had seen. I began my investigation by speaking with the engineer and fireman in the cab of the locomotive who advised that an older man had stepped onto the tracks as if the train were not there. The brakes were already applied as they entered the passenger station and the engine bell was ringing. By the split seconds it took the engineer to place the brakes into emergency the man had been struck. 

As I continued my work at the scene, it was not immediately clear whether this had been an accident or a suicide but I was inclined toward the latter. Unlike on TV or in the movies, the San Mateo County Coroner's investigator and his team of two assistants arrived quietly, did their work, then left with the body. At that time no one at the scene knew the identity of the man. It was nearly noon time when the Coroner disclosed that the “man” was actually an attractive woman, married and the mother of two teenagers. She worked in San Francisco and had been disguised just for Halloween Day.

The family was deep in mourning and could not understand how something so terrible had happened, especially because she had been a regular passenger on the train. They denied any possibility of suicide. They soon hired a lawyer and with no delay he filed and served a lawsuit against the SP. Despite the usual depositions and interrogatories, nothing surfaced to explain why this death ever occurred. Certainly our crew did everything right and the equipment and grounds were faultless.  

The morning the trial was scheduled to begin, I arrived to meet our attorney at the courthouse for any last minute needs. He first met with the family's attorney and the judge in his chambers, then came out and told me that the family had dismissed their lawsuit. They could not continue to lie and admitted that their loved one had in fact left a suicide note at home the morning of her death.  




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/24 23:40 by Westbound.



Date: 10/31/24 23:10
Re: Halloween Horror on the Southern Pacific
Author: coach

Suicide is really a strange thing, but also very selfish.  You're only thinking of yourself, and not those who will have to bear the loss.  And, she affected passengers and a train crew who were simply going about their day.  What a horrible way to go--can't fathom it, getting run over and torn apart by a train.  Bad decision.



Date: 11/01/24 09:23
Re: Halloween Horror on the Southern Pacific
Author: PHall

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Suicide is really a strange thing, but also very
> selfish.  You're only thinking of yourself, and
> not those who will have to bear the loss.  And,
> she affected passengers and a train crew who were
> simply going about their day.  What a horrible
> way to go--can't fathom it, getting run over and
> torn apart by a train.  Bad decision.

You assume that they were thinking straight in the first place, they aren't.



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