Passenger Trains > Family Seeks Answers After Caltrain Death

The family of a 22-year-old Caltrain passenger is looking for answers after the man detrained in Menlo Park, and was then run over by the same train that brought him to town.

Nobody saw what happened.

The coroner’s report was inconclusive.

The Almanac, a weekly newspaper in Menlo Park, published a story this week about the incident, and the family’s quest for answers in the three months since the man died.

It’s an interesting read.

https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2019/03/15/a-death-on-the-tracks

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/19 17:11 by walstib.

The way I read the article, there was nothing CalTrain could have done to stop this incident from happening.
The crew probably didn't even know anything had happened.

Something doesn't sound right about this.  He took the last train of the night from Redwood City to Menlo Park to get cigarettes?  There's nothing open near Sequoia Station? How was he going to get home?  The last northbound train would have been by 2 hours earlier at 11:07. 

Two key words: Inebriated and drinking. When are people going to assume personal responsibility and stop blaming everyone else for their problems?

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> Two key words: Inebriated and drinking. When are
> people going to assume personal responsibility and
> stop blaming everyone else for their problems?

Seriously? Did you bother to read the article? Duh, of course not.  The family is looking for answers as any greiving relative or friend would when someone dies without a clear answer as to why.

Here is the mom's comment: 
"It makes it difficult to move on and progress without having closure," his mother, Antoinette McElroy, told The Almanac.

Which part of her comment implies blame? 

ATSF3751 Wrote:
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> Seriously? Did you bother to read the article?

Inebriated and drinking came from the article (not mentioned up to that point in this thread).

There does seem to be a lot of blame being cast on the railroad for not having a comprehensive camera system that would have recorded how this person got under the train. Head end cameras are great for people in front of the train but not so good for people who manage to get run over by the last car. No platform cameras or cameras along the side of the train and no witnesses other than "he was there and then he was not there" seeing him on the platform. Complaints that the "rear conductor" was not watching to see the incident occur. The cry for answers is coming with accusations that the railroad and others were negligent in how they handled the train and security around the train.

A mix of alcohol and prescribed drugs and an impulsive trip to buy cigarettes (the store he was headed to was open 24 hours). It sounds like bad decision making.

I know it is hard for the family to not get an explicit determination of accident or murder and be able to dismiss the idea that this may have been a suicide. It appears that the coroner is on their side in not declaring this a suicide but they want a more exact answer. With the lack of evidence I don't see a more exact answer coming.

justalurker66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ATSF3751 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Seriously? Did you bother to read the article?
>
> Inebriated and drinking came from the article (not
> mentioned up to that point in this thread).
>
> There does seem to be a lot of blame being cast on
> the railroad for not having a comprehensive camera
> system that would have recorded how this person
> got under the train. Head end cameras are great
> for people in front of the train but not so good
> for people who manage to get run over by the last
> car. No platform cameras or cameras along the side
> of the train and no witnesses other than "he was
> there and then he was not there" seeing him on the
> platform. Complaints that the "rear conductor" was
> not watching to see the incident occur. The cry
> for answers is coming with accusations that the
> railroad and others were negligent in how they
> handled the train and security around the train.

This is no evidence of some imagined lawsuit in the making, which is what you are implying. 
>
> A mix of alcohol and prescribed drugs and an
> impulsive trip to buy cigarettes (the store he was
> headed to was open 24 hours). It sounds like bad
> decision making.

That is an assumption not established by the facts at this point. 
>
> I know it is hard for the family to not get an
> explicit determination of accident or murder and
> be able to dismiss the idea that this may have
> been a suicide. It appears that the coroner is on
> their side in not declaring this a suicide but
> they want a more exact answer. With the lack of
> evidence I don't see a more exact answer coming.

The original post by Anderson109 was faulty in its assumptions and implications. As usual. I stand by my response and will wait, as any reasonable and prudent person should do, until all the facts are established and/or until lawyers are engaged to further a lawsuit. Even that should wait until any suit goes ahead.  Time to stop the nonsense of knee-jerk reactions. 

ATSF3751 Wrote:
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> This is no evidence of some imagined lawsuit in the making, which is what you are implying. 

You're making up your own strawmen to beat down. I'm not implying any legal action. Only stating that the family is seeking someone to blame.

> That is an assumption not established by the facts at this point. 

Did you read the article? Or is everything you personally disagree with an assumption? Facts were stated - don't be ignorant.

> As usual. I stand by my response and will wait, . . .

Another LIE from you as you are NOT waiting to give your opinion. You can't say that you will wait to give your opinion after spewing one!

This is an opinion forum. The least you can do is have an honest discussion, acknoledge facts and don't play "high and mighty" trying to shut down others who are acknowledging the facts. Otherwise you just become a troll.

Whatever happened to this young man.....this discussion is a huge disservice to him and his grieving family.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA