Found Deceased TX - Andrew Haukereid Jr., 79, disappeared on a train to Chicago, 19 May 2012

[cocomod]

R.I.P. Mr. Haukereid

I am glad that your family can lay you to rest, but so sorry that your life was lost.

[liltexans]

Rest in Peace, Mr. Haukereid.

My deepest sympathies to all of Mr. Haukereid's family and friends.

[Cubby]

Body found confirmed to be missing Texas man



CLAY COUNTY, AR – Officials from the Clay County Sheriff's Office says a body found near railroad tracks is that of a missing 79-year old Texas man.

http://m.fox16.com/display/574/story...39759bcc258c46

[Portabella]

I cannot help but wonder how he fell off the train....

RIP Mr. Haukereid... so sad

[wfgodot]

I was assuming - pending cause of death of course - that he left the train at a stop, and then missed the train, it leaving perhaps without him. Or perhaps there was an unscheduled stop and passengers could leave the train for a time, although this I think would have been noted and the site of that stop would have been - at least in a perfect world - checked when Mr. Hauckreid went missing.

Perhaps he became confused after he missed the train; he was an old man and he felt it then, felt it and began to walk ahead, along the tracks, where the train had gone.

[TexasLil]

Originally Posted by Cubby

Body found confirmed to be missing Texas man



CLAY COUNTY, AR – Officials from the Clay County Sheriff's Office says a body found near railroad tracks is that of a missing 79-year old Texas man.

http://m.fox16.com/display/574/story...39759bcc258c46

From your link...

Sheriff Gerald McClung says a wallet with Haukereid's credit cards were found near the body.


This seems very odd to me. Why wouldn't the wallet and credit cards be in his pocket? I suppose if he fell from the train they could have fallen out somehow. Just seems odd.

[cocomod]

If he was at a stop I would wonder if he fell under the train, but I too think he may have missed the train and started walking. Perhaps he thought he could make it to the next stop. I am terribly sad for his loved ones.

As for his wallet being next to him rather than in his pocket, I find that a bit strange. Perhaps I have watched too many CSI type shows, but maybe someone found him first and took any momey he may have been carrying.

[TxLady2]

I'm so sad to hear this. If he was confused at times, maybe he should not have been traveling alone or such a great distance in the first place. How did he fall off the train if the passageways between cars are enclosed? How far from a scheduled stop was his body found? What condition was the body in? Was he more bruised than just a fall would indicate? These are questions that need to be answered.
My prayers and condolences for his family.

[KateB]

http://www.therepublic.com/view/stor...in-Tracks-Body

Clay County Sheriff Gerald McClung and Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari

"I don't think he got off the train in Walnut Ridge and then walked to Knobel," McClung said. "He's a 79-year-old man. He couldn't have walked that far."

Magliari said a passenger can open a train door while a train is moving, but they'd need to push two latches and pull the door open.

"But if a door was opened while a train was moving, surely someone would hear it," he said.

Would someone hear it?

[Secrett]

Originally Posted by KateB

http://www.therepublic.com/view/stor...in-Tracks-Body

Clay County Sheriff Gerald McClung and Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari


Would someone hear it?

And WHY would someone do that? I find it hard to believe he walked that far also. And no mention of mental issues/confusion from family or LE...

It's mysterious. (and tragic)

ETA- I'm kind of surprised that there's no alarm system if someone opens a train door while it's moving? Maybe that's what they meant by "someone would have heard it" (an alarm).

[Secrett]

The employee found the body of Andrew Haukereid Jr., 79, on Saturday near Knobel, Ark., on a levee, about 20 feet from the tracks, Clay County Sheriff Gerald McClung said in a prepared statement.

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/loc...#ixzz1yMbrsngD

Another news story, not much new info.

[mahoolin]

Originally Posted by TexasLil

From your link...

Sheriff Gerald McClung says a wallet with Haukereid's credit cards were found near the body.


This seems very odd to me. Why wouldn't the wallet and credit cards be in his pocket? I suppose if he fell from the train they could have fallen out somehow. Just seems odd.

I wonder if he got off at a scheduled point, was mugged/killed and body dumped later in-between the scheduled stops? Dumped in an area where not many people walk. They probably just tossed his wallet down on the ground beside him? Either that, or someone found him deceased and took the wallet out to check for money, not realizing it had already been searched and tossed it.

Any way, I'm so sad this didn't have a better outcome, I was so hoping he'd be found somewhere safe and sound.

My sympathies to the family and friends of Mr Haukereid.

[mahoolin]

Did they report any unscheduled stops that night? If there are any on the logs, or whatever they keep, I would think they'd mention that first when Mr Haukereid went missing?

I also think they should count heads just like they do for school children on field trips to make sure they all make it to their destination.

[deca]

RIP Mr. Haukereid

I hope this was just a tragic accident.

[Portabella]

Originally Posted by mahoolin

Did they report any unscheduled stops that night? If there are any on the logs, or whatever they keep, I would think they'd mention that first when Mr Haukereid went missing?

I also think they should count heads just like they do for school children on field trips to make sure they all make it to their destination.

I have not traveled on Amtrak for several years. But the attendants are not that accommodating to be honest. You see them sometimes, but they look overworked and usually rather grumpy from what I gathered. Also, I don't know what train he was on, but you exit the coach area, and then you head to bathroom out of the car where no one really is. I wonder if he instead of turning right and opening the restroom door, somehow mistook it at a wee hour and half asleep or something and opened the door leading out. I traveled with my two young sons and always watched them like hawks when going potty, just felt that it was the least secure area of the train. Anyone else have any insight or thoughts? I could see him opening it wrongly.... I honestly think he fell from the train. I cannot see him walking the tracks following a train that left.

One other thought, was he a smoker? You cannot smoke on the trains anymore, except Auto trains...very select few, could he have been trying to take a cig break and things went wrong....

[tresptip]

Do you think they will ever tell us how he died?

[Secrett]

Originally Posted by Portabella

I have not traveled on Amtrak for several years. But the attendants are not that accommodating to be honest. You see them sometimes, but they look overworked and usually rather grumpy from what I gathered. Also, I don't know what train he was on, but you exit the coach area, and then you head to bathroom out of the car where no one really is. I wonder if he instead of turning right and opening the restroom door, somehow mistook it at a wee hour and half asleep or something and opened the door leading out. I traveled with my two young sons and always watched them like hawks when going potty, just felt that it was the least secure area of the train. Anyone else have any insight or thoughts? I could see him opening it wrongly.... I honestly think he fell from the train. I cannot see him walking the tracks following a train that left.

One other thought, was he a smoker? You cannot smoke on the trains anymore, except Auto trains...very select few, could he have been trying to take a cig break and things went wrong....

I've been on long amtrak trips a few times in the last year, and in my opinion it would be really hard to confuse a bathroom door with the door leading out of the train. At least in the trains I was in. The bathroom door was flimsy, with a little clip handle (kind of like those old fashioned seat belt metal clasps like on an airline seat buckle, you know?) I never saw the train door that leads outside closed as I was upstairs from it and it was always already opened by the time I got to it at stops, but I would imagine it would be a little harder to open than a flimsy clip-pull handle. IF he did mistake it, I'd imagine he'd be in an extremely confused state of mind. IMO

I can't see him walking all that distance either, though.

IF he did fall from the train accidentally, I would hope that Amtrak is being investigated thorougly to prevent accidents like this from happening again. Still can't see it though, unless the train made an unscheduled stop. (which you'd think we'd have heard about.. )

ETA: Here's a short youtube clip of the inside of an Amtrak train while its traveling, it shows the bathrooms and the two doors leading out of the train. It's actually different than I remembered it, but it does show the difference between the bathroom and the outside doors for people to draw their own conclusions.

INSIDE AMTRAK TRAIN~ A LOOK AROUND - YouTube

INSIDE AMTRAK TRAIN~ A LOOK AROUND - YouTube

[Cazzie]

Rest In Peace, Mr. Haukereid.

[Secrett]

From

http://www.bannernews.net/news/WireH...kansas--29.php


Magliari said a passenger can open a train door while a train is moving, but they’d need to push two latches and pull the door open.

“But if a door was opened while a train was moving, surely someone would hear it,” he said.
[snip]
Relatives say they aren’t sure if he would have had the strength to open a train door.

I don't know why this case is bugging me. I guess it's because my mom (75yo) goes on train rides by herself a lot.