Man Jumps to His Death from Moodna Viaduct

A 26-year-old Washingtonville man killed himself yesterday in a jump from the Moodna Viaduct in the Town of Cornwall.
Marjorie Anders, a spokeswoman for Metro-North Railroad, said a passing motorist discovered the man's body about 11:44 a.m. in the middle of Otterkill Road directly beneath the viaduct. The viaduct carries the Port Jervis line through the area.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority police, who investigated the death, determined the man had walked out onto the tracks, stopped above the road and then jumped a distance of about 150 feet.
Anders said MTA police found personal effects on the viaduct as well as a note in the man's car, which was parked nearby. The man's identity is being withheld, pending notification of next of kin.

http://www.recordonline.com/archive/200 ... brf347.htm

Just how hard (or easy) is it to get up onto the Moodna viaduct? Where is the nearest road access?

How was this allowed to happen? Where are all of the MTA and other
police and troops?
Guess they are all out chasing people with cameras while this sad event
was allowed to occur.
Noel Weaver

Moodna trestle is quite close to Salisbury Mills station, less than a mile east of the station, as I recall. Between Suffern and Port Jervis.

FWIW. that's a nice ride using the off peak fares

Mr. Weaver:
Please, a little reality! All the tea in China, all the King's Men, and all the security people in the US of A can't stop someone from finding an unguarded high place and jumping, or 'falling' in front of a car, bus, truck, or train, if that's what's on someone's mind. Given our 'responsibility' to stop such attempts, we'd all have to be hired as 'prevention cops' (and we'd still fail). I've been across Moodna Viaduct (access from Salisbury Mills) at mid-day; nobody around for miles! I've also been half-way across Pokip Bridge (from the West) during the day...with care, it's impossible to stop these things. Anyway, why try? A smart suicide will succeed; a dumb one probably deserves a Darwin Award.

well the troops left, non were around friday after our president left town.

Semaphore Sam wrote:Mr. Weaver:
Please, a little reality! All the tea in China, all the King's Men, and all the security people in the US of A can't stop someone from finding an unguarded high place and jumping, or 'falling' in front of a car, bus, truck, or train, if that's what's on someone's mind. Given our 'responsibility' to stop such attempts, we'd all have to be hired as 'prevention cops' (and we'd still fail). I've been across Moodna Viaduct (access from Salisbury Mills) at mid-day; nobody around for miles! I've also been half-way across Pokip Bridge (from the West) during the day...with care, it's impossible to stop these things. Anyway, why try? A smart suicide will succeed; a dumb one probably deserves a Darwin Award.

I am being very real here. Police manpower is being wasted chasing rail-
fans with cameras while bridges and other structures are being threatened, trains continue to be stoned by vandals and other crimes
continue to take place. The companies are telling engineers and other
crew members to immediately report railfans with cameras, cops go and
check it out, train gets hit by rocks and same crews are at major risk for
injury. A misuse of priorities in my opinion.
Don't believe me, go to Bronxville and take a picture, go to Ossining and
take a picture, watch how quick the response is.
It isn't just Metro-North, it is paranoia all over the north east.
Seems to me that they have their priorities backwards.
Noel Weaver

Yes, Mr. Weaver you are so right. Other than being a placebo, what good are all the police officers on the trains? People are not being searched boarding trains. If all persons boarding trains were searched, then something meaningful would be being done. But that's not the case. If a terrorist or terrorists decides to do what he/she/they are going to do, what good is an officer on the train going to do? Nothing. All that is being done is taking NYS Troopers off highway patrol, giving psycho drivers a field day for speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. But lets apprehend train buffs who are taking photos of trains. Train buffs are a "definite" threat to rail safety and security.

Well from what I'm told from NJT drivers who operate on the PJ Line, MTA police really are never around that line ever. Its kinda like the child that nobody at MTA wants because they are more concerned with EoH Service. I'm really not suprised that this happened unnoticed.

Plus, it's not like there is a lot of train service on the line anyway. Only a few trains in each direction every day.

Plus even if cops where there, if he was really suicidal, do you think he would have stopped for police?