Mother of Seven Fatally Struck by Train While Filming Run
Thelma Candelaria was reportedly wearing noise-canceling headphones and filming her morning run when she was hit by a train in Arizona.
A mother of seven was fatally struck by a train while she was filming her morning run in Arizona, according to her family.
Thelma Candelaria, 47, died Thursday morning in Eloy after being hit by a train while crossing railroad tracks.
Her family told KTVK that Candelaria had begun filming her runs as part of a health initiative. She had recently been baptized and her social media posts in the days leading up to her death reflected gratitude and positivity.
In her last video clip, shared early Thursday, Candelaria told her Instagram followers she was taking her running "seriously," flashing a peace sign and giving a thumbs up. She then filmed one train passing by before she was struck by another train moving in the opposite direction.
Candelaria was reportedly wearing pink noise-canceling headphones and was singing and laughing while filming, according to her daughter, Alaisha Candelaria. The train reportedly sounded its horn and applied its emergency brake, but Candelaria was seemingly unaware of the approaching danger.
Candelaria was reported missing when she did not return home from her run. She was found deceased at the scene.
Her friend, Amber Sherban, described Candelaria as an "angel" and noted that her death occurred just days after her baptism. Sherban stated on a GoFundMe fundraiser that Candelaria had recently embraced her faith and expressed a desire to remove negativity from her life.
The incident remains under investigation. The cause of death has not yet been officially released.