Mom Killed by Train While Wearing Noise-Canceling Headphones

An Arizona mother was struck and killed by a train during her morning run after reportedly becoming distracted while filming another passing train, leaving her family devastated just days after she celebrated a new chapter in her life.

Thelma Candelaria, 47, was jogging near a railroad crossing in Eloy, approximately 60 miles southeast of Phoenix, on Thursday, October 15, when the fatal accident occurred.

According to the Eloy Police Department, officers responded shortly after 6 a.m. to reports that a pedestrian had been struck by a Union Pacific train near Sunshine Boulevard and Frontier Street.

Emergency responders arrived to find Candelaria dead at the scene.

Her daughter, Alaisha Candelaria, told Arizona’s Family that her mother had recently started documenting her morning runs on social media as part of a renewed commitment to improving her health.

In videos recorded shortly before the tragedy, Candelaria appeared happy and energetic, smiling for the camera while listening to music.

“She was singing along to Jessie Reyez, which is her favorite artist. She was laughing,” Alaisha recalled.

But the morning took a devastating turn when Candelaria stopped near the railroad tracks to record a passing train.

According to her daughter, a second train approached on a separate track from the opposite direction while Candelaria was focused on filming the first.

Alaisha believes her mother never realized the second train was approaching because she was wearing noise-canceling headphones and could not hear the warnings clearly over the sound of the other train.

“She had her noise-canceling Beat headphones on. She was in her own world,” Alaisha said.

Police confirmed that both trains sounded their horns as they approached the crossing.

Investigators said the engineer of the train that struck Candelaria spotted her between the tracks and immediately activated the emergency braking system while sounding the horn.

Despite those efforts, the train could not stop in time.

Candelaria’s family became concerned when she failed to return from her usual morning run and reported her missing.

Her death has left her children and loved ones struggling to understand how an ordinary morning ended in tragedy.

Arizona’s Family identified Candelaria as a mother of eight, although other reports and a family fundraiser have described her as a mother of seven.

Alaisha, 29, remembered her mother as a generous and loving woman who was always looking for ways to improve her life and help those around her.

“She was an angel,” she said.

The loss has been especially painful because Candelaria had recently experienced what relatives described as a meaningful personal transformation.

Less than a week before her death, she had been baptized and was embracing her religious faith with renewed enthusiasm.

Family friend Amber Sherban, who helped organize a fundraiser for Candelaria’s children, said she had witnessed the baptism and remembered how much happiness it brought her friend.

Sherban described Candelaria as someone who had spent her life supporting others and urged the community to help her grieving family.

The fundraiser will help cover funeral expenses and provide financial assistance for Candelaria’s children, including those who are still minors.

The tragedy has also highlighted the dangers associated with railroad crossings, particularly when multiple trains are traveling through the same area.

Rail safety officials warn that a train passing on one track can conceal another approaching from the opposite direction. Headphones and other distractions may further reduce a person’s ability to recognize warning signals.

Trains also require considerable distance to stop, even when engineers immediately apply their emergency brakes.

The Eloy Police Department’s Vehicular Crimes Unit is continuing to investigate the collision. Authorities have not released a final determination explaining why Candelaria was between the tracks or whether additional factors contributed to her death.

Her family, meanwhile, hopes she will be remembered for her kindness, devotion to her children and positive outlook rather than the circumstances of her final moments.