10/15 – Incident Near Little Silver Rail Station Monday was ‘Apparent Suicide’

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By John Burton
LITTLE SILVER — A NJ Transit commuter train struck and killed an Eatontown man yesterday afternoon in what investigators have labeled “an apparent suicide,” according to a NJ Transit spokesman.
At approximately 4:54 p.m. Monday, an eastbound train on the North Jersey Coast Line, hit the man, just east of the borough station in the area of Parker’s Creek Bridge, according to William Smith, a NJ Transit spokesman.
The victim was identified as Thomas J. Schenk, 33, Broad Street, Eatontown, Smith said.
The train engineer told authorities he saw a man walk onto the tracks and lay down in front of the oncoming train. The engineer sounded the horn and engaged the emergency breaks, but was unable to stop the train in time, Smith said.
Investigators found a note on Schenk’s body, Smith said.
There were 150 passengers on the train. No other injuries were reported. Service was disrupted on the line until approximately 8 p.m. and NJ Transit provided bus services for those customers, Smith said.