A Caltrain struck and killed a person at 8:45 this morning (March 4) at the Churchill Avenue crossing in Palo Alto, said police Capt. James Reifschneider.
Palo Alto police and firefighters were first on scene and confirmed the person had died before handing the case over to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, which provides policing for Caltrain.
Caltrain released automated messages saying there is police activity on the tracks and there is an “unknown cause” for the current delay.
Caltrain no longer releases information about when someone dies on the train tracks.
As a result, it is not clear how many people have died on the tracks this year or last year.
I go to Palo Alto high school and people at school are saying that it was a kid who died.
I work in this area and this is such sad news. I often see students on their bikes with headphones on too close to the tracks.
It almost always seems to be, this time of year. So sad. So much pressure on the kids. I’m so sorry.
I’ve heard that too
Mathias, our hearts are with you all!! Be safe, and ask for help, when you need it.
Mathias, our hearts are with you all!! Stay strong, and ask for help if you need it.
returning federal workers don’t know how to drive.
What is wrong with you, Jan Horvath, joking about a death?
Jan Horvath, your comment is shameful.
Caltrain’s policy of concealing deaths isn’t working out so well.
I also go to Paly. Like Mathias said, word around school is that a student was killed by the Caltrain. I don’t have any way to confirm or deny, but I’ve also heard that it was deliberate and they laid themselves down on the tracks. Suicide or not, a very sad incident.
Suicides are tragic for all, but bad publicity for Caltrain
Keeping the word about deaths secret only adds to the stigma of suicide. Most folks who take their lives are suffering from mental illness. The secrecy only makes them more apprehensive about sitting down with a professional to deal with their problems. Shame on Caltrain for perpetuating this stigma. Do better!
As a former student of PALY during the peak of “The suicide wave”, I understand where you are coming from in terms of wanting to know. But I hope you would understand the reasoning behind the secrecy. It was beyond traumatic watching each death trigger an onslaught of copy-cat suicides in the same fashion. Many of us still, 15+ years later, struggle to hear the train horn in terror that it is trying to warn another student to get out of the way. Please have some empathy for both students AND Caltrain workers who have to share the trauma but never get any sympathy.
CDC case study of cluster suicides of Palo Alto kids showed it was NOT stress nor was it NOT pressure from academics. CDC it was dangerous to say it was.
CDC said it was due to mental illness and the majority had depression or diagnosed depression.
PAUSD needs to be open and say it was suicide (acknowledge the problem) as well as mental illness of depression.
Depression is often hidden and treated as if shameful. We as a society need to acknowledge when someone has a mental illness.
All this cloak and dagger of not saying it was or was not suicide by PAUSD and hiding it is terrible. So is the not dealing with depression as a mental illness.