A cross, a flower, candles, Christmas ornaments and empty Busch cans have been added as a memorial to the intersection where the Union Pacific railroad crosses Sutton Boulevard in Maplewood. A man was struck and killed by a train there on Dec. 7.
The 34-year-old man was hit by the train at around 1:30 a.m., Maplewood Police reported. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The memorial identifies the man as Steve O’Connor, a United States Marine.
See also: Foley’s patrons pull man from car stuck on tracks just as train arrives
Steve was a kind soul. He never knew a “stranger”. Always smiling and his laughter was infectious. He is missed by many. RIP friend.
I wonder what would have happened if the train engineer had been allowed to sound the horn when the train was a quarter mile mile away?