Wow! This is becoming a commonplace. Very sad and selfish way to end it.

Repeated tragedies are still tragedies -- let's hope they're never considered commonplace. May God bless this soul and his family.

My heart breaks for this man and his family. Many will point out that suicide is a VERY permanent solution for a temporary problem, but the pain this man must have been in to consider it his only solution must indeed be Hell on Earth.
If time really does heal all wounds, I only hope it helps his loved ones deal with the loss they will navigating in the days, weeks and years going forward. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

I think it is unfair to call this man selfish. He clearly had major problems in his life to do this, ones he could not cope with. We won't know what those issues were but regardless, its still not right to add a "selfish" label to him. This was an act of desperation and mental illness. Its very sad that there was no one that he could have turned to for help in working out whatever issues he was facing.

There's a really great psychology book called "Myths About Suicide" that was published recently. You might say that this is selfish or a solution to a temporary problem, but most people who reach this point are so alienated for so long and suffering so much that the idea that it would be selfish is foreign to them. I was late for Jeopardy tonight, but so what? This person must have had such problems they felt they couldn't escape and that the world would be better off without him. It's really devastating, and along with the Amber Alert that just went out I'm a bit shaken tonight.

That being said, kudos to NJT for getting the trains back on so quickly. My train sat in Millburn for only 30 minutes and I was very thankful they gave us the option of leaving; I hear others in Secaucus weren't so lucky.

i appreciate all the thoughts above and commute every day. When something so horrible happens, everyone needs to take stock and realize a delay is a small price to pay for others permanent pain. When having an especially good day, try to remind self to feel this way on a bad day or on a bad day that there will be good days ahead. Obviously the man who ended his life today didn't feel this. A reminder to everyone to keep it in perspective.

MarkDS...you are way off base on this one, morally and clinically.

I would call somebody who shoot others before shooting himself selfish, not this man who jumped in front of a train. It was very sad.

I am confident that given the victim's state of mind, rational thought was not part of the equation. Selfishness is purposeful action with knowledge of the consequences of the action.

Let's move on as you are sounding more and more like an ass.

Before my children come home from school to tell me who it was, can someone identify them here?

MarkDs: Take Abraham Lincoln's advice..."Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."

No one here knows who this guy was or what brought him to perform this act. Maybe it was something that happened to him or something that he did that he couldn't live with. Maybe he was off his meds and the problem was only in his mind. All speculation and no basis in fact.

Trying to figure it out or analyze it is fruitless, as is arguing about it. There are only two facts that we can reasonably count on: a man killed himself by using a train as a weapon, and other people were affected by this act in varying degrees of severity.

If the fatality of suicide is viewed as the inconvenience delays NJ Transit trains for 30 to 60 minutes, and the concern is to worry about the working crew than not having CSI to involve, this really reflects the serious ignorance of public health problems. Ending life so publicly may be under the perception to demonstrate the sense of a protest to a relief. A number of help demonstration centers for the prevention of suicide should be suggested to set up in the areas under the local director of mental health. Blaming a dead smashed body under the train track is far more worst than wrong spelling posting. So Agree to take Abraham Lincoln advice.

Read this article for a glimpse at how this might effect the train engineer. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/01/AR2009100102404.html

May be MarkDS is a train engineer. Otherwise I am not sure why is he going on about the impact on the train crew and the engineer. Yes, they get to see that accident first hand and may have lifelong bad memories of that but there are many jobs like that in which people get to see others being killed. Truth is all those people knew before they apply for those jobs that this sort of thing can happen because of the nature of that job ie: train crew/ engineer, police, firemen etc etc.

MarkDS, You have any Halloween candy left over? You may tell the killed man ghost about his act of crime that traumatizes others. I believe the working crew and engineers should ask for therapist help in this case. It is really a tragedy.

Matt - Mark DS has already 'outed' himself in past postings. He lives on Byron. I will let him divulge his name if he wants. Mark - your logic in taking umbrage at the person committing suicide falls apart when you look at the crime of murder. Using your logic, somebody who commits murder should be guilty of two crimes - taking somebody elses life and causing trauma to those who had to witness this and suffer the consequences. The latter is just not the case. People who unfortunately witnessed a murder do not feel grieved because of their inconvenience but rather because of the tragic loss of life (possibly with the exception of you), although you specifically have never been on here after a murder saying - "boy, it really sucks that the life was taken but more painful to me was that I missed jeopardy or my train was late or that I had to actually watch the murder unfold.' As somebody above mentioned, you are missing the boat here - and I think there is some issue that you may have faced in the past which makes you really have it out for people who commit suicide. I'm not really sure I want to know why you feel this way though.

MarkDS....all doubt has been removed.

How about your sympathy for the man who died?

Compassion...... we need compassion!

First, let's state the obvious: someone, somewhere just had a loved one basically die in conditions that are unimaginable. They may be reading this.

Similarly, and to Mark's point, people were similarly traumatized by witnessing such a violent end. I am in agreement with that.

However-think about what it takes to STEP IN FRONT OF A TRAIN. This is a horrific way to end--literally, the most violence one can inflict on one's body. To kill yourself in such a manner is to do two things: 1. Express one final act of self hatred and 2. Make others be a witness to it so that the world can no longer ignore the pain. Their perception, not mine.

On point #2, people may characterize it as selfish, and I suppose it is a inwardly focused action to take. However, a person in that state of mind is in EXTREME pain. The kind of pain that feels like a fire is burning inside....it's that terrible. People in that condition literally want the physical hurt to match the psychological pain....and they want the invisibility they feel to be acknowledged.

That is a damn sad state of affairs.

It is always helpful to remember that we don't know what it feels like to walk in another's shoes. I always like to say that I was the best mother before I had kids...because only after I did it, did I understand it.

I grieve for all involved and I urge us all to be kind to one another. None of us know what goes on behind these computers.

Words matter.

Well said on all levels, mommakiddies! Just one point to add.. we all are worried about kids bullying each other, but when you read what adults write to each other you realize that kids might be learning it from the adults around them. Words do matter, I agree.

Thanks Lisa.

I think one of the things that jumped out to me is this: people who commit suicide feel isolated and nothing isolates a person more than judgement.

Although we like to think we all came to this earth with the same attributes, we don't all possess the same level of resilience nor do we all come with the same abilities to connect with others, socially etc. Every time we judge a person (AND I DO IT TOO) we isolate them just a little bit more. This goes both ways.

Does this mean I think we should all be super pollyana and forgive all? I wish I could---alas, my type A self won't allow it. I get mad when I perceive people are being mean, or not pulling their weight, or selfish. We all do. However--the same way I have been trying to teach my kids to make their points without anger, I realize that I need to model the same.

Someday, maybe I will get there.

Meantime, I a sunny, upbeat person but years ago, I had something sad happen to me. I was riding in a car when I was seized with the inexplicable desire to fling myself out of it. Scared, I consulted with a psychiatrist who told that nugget about wanting the physical pain to match what one is feeling inside. It was not much of a leap to realize the rest of what this man's mind frame could have been like.

Assuming, he was otherwise sane, of course.

I wonder how all the comments here would change if it turns out the man who committed suicide was a criminal and not someone who lost is job and had nowhere to turn, etc., as is assumed. If Bernie Madoff or Jerry Sandusky, for example, decided to end it all by jumping in front of a train, I can't imagine there would be much heartbreak.

It is another jump off the train incident of heartbreaking news. My prayers go out to the soul rest in peace. Words does matter. "The act of re­paying kind­ness is called pos­i­tive re­ciprocity; that of aveng­ing un­fair­ness, neg­a­tive re­ciprocity. Many peo­ple in­cline more to the first, oth­ers more to the sec­ond, and oth­ers to both about equal­ly."

One important thing that nobody mentioned is the poor Locomotive Engineer who had to be at the center of this. Nobody realizes the heartache and trauma that he/she is now put through. This troubled person chose the easy way out rather than asking for help and as such has now ruined another individuals life by having the Engineer relive this horrible tragedy in their head day after day! Feeling helpless and responsible! I attest first hand to the trouble that lies ahead for this Engineer as I am the wife of an Engineer who has been in the same situation. Try and realize that this man has now nothing to care about or think about but his family, friends and the poor Engineer have an extremely rough road ahead. I pray for each life lost but we live in a society where there is plenty of help and many people out there wanting to help.

I have personally been touched by the suicide of someone close to me. It is heartbreaking to lose someone by suicide and tragic for everyone touched by this person in life and everyone impacted by their death.

I don't feel bad for the man who killed himself, I feel for his family but more than that.. I feel for the poor engineer who is trying to support his own family and was forced to see and hear this man take his life... it was a cruel and selfish act on his part.. Ok, so he wants to kill himself... why drag other people into your insanity? The engineer must now live with this visual. Has anyone given a thought to that? I have no choice, the engineer is my fiance and he is broken over this, he is suffering. Feel for him first.

Even without knowing fully what this troubled man was thinking we can be certain of this - he chose to kill himself in a very public way. That was a concious choice. He could have chosen to take his life privately. I agree with MarkDS ... for those who don't, would you have a different opinion if a person had walked into your office (without knowing you) and shot themselves right in front of you? I would like some advice about trying to explain this to my children.

"I pray for each life lost but we live in a society where there is plenty of help and many people out there wanting to help." If one believe the society has plenty of help and many people out there wanting to help, I truly hope the engineer seeks positive mental help. There is a choice. Life is always said as a journey on train. If you don't have time to watch this video, the intention of asking others to seek help is just an empty said. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32ooowrsX2k

With all the sympathies to the train crew and any other person who is effected- How do we know that the person who died had a choice? How can we say that he did not try all he could? May be he did not get help he needed. Let's not assume that he did not seek any help. These are tough times for many people and it is not always possible for everyone to get help that they need. It looks easy to people who do not need help but may not be the same picture for the ones who are actually seeking help!

To anyone reading these comments who are having trouble: There is a lot of help available. Every NJ Transit station has a sign posted with a telephone number to call if you are thinking of hurting yourself.

http://suicidehotlines.com/newjersey.html
USA National Suicide Hotlines
Toll-Free / 24 hours / 7 days a week
1-800-SUICIDE
1-800-784-2433
1-800-273-TALK
1-800-273-8255
TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889)

NEWARK
Emergency Psychiatric Services
24 hours / 7 days
(973) 623-2323

MORRISTOWN
Crisis Hotline
Psychiatric Emergency Service
Morristown Memorial Hospital
24 hours / 7 days
(973) 540-0100

I respect all of your opinions. I still feel its selfish to forever mentally scar the conductor and other witnesses with such a horrific memory. Maybe commonplace wasnt the best word to use but I have lived in Short Hills all my life and mentally ill people jumping in front of the trains at the Short Hills station seems to be happening much more often. Lets all remember that this is America and we are entitled to our own opinion on a subject.

As we all remember that this is America and you and I are absolutely entitled to "own opinions" on a subject. When we are discussing on a subject, we are not dealing with "own opinion" in isolation; we also have to decide whether it is better to place a higher value on "opinion" than on the value of privacy, security, equality, or the prevention of harm. The news has brought up the attention of 'Fatality'.

Actions without thinking about others are selfish. "Expressing opinions" without thinking about others are also selfish.

No satisfisying anyone in here unless you agree completely with their opinion that killing yourself while harming others is not selfish just sick.

Only in Millburn can someone, who undoubtedly had issues (mental, financial, familial, whatever...) and did not feel they could carry on any longer, be considered "selfish" for delaying their precious 5:20 Midtown Direct.

Think you missed the point Byran...I think everyone was referring to witnesses and conductor who will forever remember the awful sight.

The news has not announced that was a suicide or an accident (safety issue). Just because the jump in-front-of the train incidents happened few times. It is an automatic assume. I find the some of the comments are almost misleading. It was a traumatized experiences to witness such a disturbing scene. NJ Transit offers counselling services for the engineers and contractors. It is fatality.

more preoccupied with the "what"...rather than the "why"....it is unbelievable to see "how" it starts to "defend."

I think we should all agree that this entire situation is filled with victims - the poor man who felt he had no way out, his family/friends, the horrified witnesses. Debating which ones hurt more is irrelevant. I'm more interested in how we can be kinder to each other, and perhaps how we can help people facing problems to see and find a way out. There's enough trouble to go around these days; let the kindness start here.

Stay classy Short Hills-Millburn...then again it is Short Hills and Millburn...oh well...

"don't overestimate the decency of the human race"- Mencken

Amen.

Interesting... I just went back to the June 14 article about the lady that died over here by the SH station on the rails.

She only got 36 comments compared to 86 on this one. A portion of those were about the release of the name itself. Most of the rest were of the same care bear type as most of the comments here, plumbing the depths of human sympathy and compassion . I also noticed that some of the same people that are yelling at each other on this thread were at it on the other. There's a lot to be said for consistency.

Like I said before. No one here knows who this guy was or what his deal was. The only thing for sure is that he jumped in front of the train and now he's dead.

Someone else above had commented about the signs at the NJT stations with the suicide hotline info being helpful. I have to say, if I was in the mindset of offing myself with the transit system, a foamcore with creepy pictures of people with no faces probably wouldn't be what would pull me back from the edge.

As a licensed psychotherapist who often works with individuals who are depressed, suicidal, and have other mental health issues, I feel compelled to comment on this article. I would first like to point out that we do not know all the details of this situation, so my reply is based on the assumption that this man committed suicide and that he suffered from some type of mental illness such as depression. Most often, individuals that we could clinically diagnosed as being depressed, who commit suicide, and who are not in treatment (therapy), are not thinking rationally. Therefore, unfortunately, I can almost guarantee you that if this was the case for this man, he was not thinking of how his actions would impact others. I would not call this selfish. I would call this an individual in such emotional turmoil who is incapable of processing how his actions would affect others around him. Are his family members, individuals who witnessed this tragedy, and others affected by this trauma victims of this incident? Absolutely. My heart breaks for this man. It breaks because he felt there was no way out other than taking his own life. My heart breaks for his family and the emotional struggle they face in the future dealing with their loss. And, my heart breaks for the individuals who witnessed this incident. What a struggle it may be for them to deal with the trauma of what they saw or heard.

KAS11, You said it so well. Thank you.

My prayers and thoughts to the man and his family. Wow, I always believed I live in an affluent but very low class part of NJ. Many of these comments confirm that notion.

It is important to stress that the overall form of the argument is intended to be an inference to the best explanation. It is to address the attention to active sensory awareness of wellness mind and body and the need to take time for reflections.

Such a tragedy! For the person who witnessed this traumatic event, if you want to call me at 973-220-9007, I might be able to help you heal from this trauma more quickly. I am certified in EMDR and would do it for no charge to you, just as a community service.

KAS11 I respect your opinion that this was not a selfish act but don't agree with it.

Thank you MillerTime. And I respect yours as well. I understand why you (and others) feel suicide is selfish. It is often a common reaction to suicide. However, keep in mind, the definition of "selfish" is doing something without having any regard for others. Most often, selfish individuals are aware they they put their needs before others, even at the cost of hurting other people. It is often all about them. Individuals who are suicidal often are unable to comprehend that others will be affected by their suicide. Their thought process is not rational or clear. I think that is why it is very difficult for a lot of people to understand why suicide is not a selfish act. Because, these individuals are thinking rationally unlike the suicidal person. Regardless, the situation is a tragedy. And many are unfortunately traumatized.

KAS11 you seem to contradict yourself by saying "Individuals who are suicidal often are unable to comprehend that others will be affected by their suicide" By saying that I guess you think that sometimes they know they are engaging in a selfish act that will affect others. I do agree that if someone is completely insane with no grasp of reality it is not a selfish act. I just believe the majority of people committing suicide know what they are going to do is going to hurt others especially if they jump in front of a train at a somewhat populated station.

Every year millions of people around the world try to kill themselves—and nearly one million of them succeed. Suicide is the 11th biggest killer of Americans and the third-leading killer of 15- to 24-year-olds. The U.S. suicide rate is increasing for the first time in a decade, primarily as a result of the rise in the practice among whites aged 40 to 64, according to a new report covering the years 1999 to 2005 from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The economy is now adding to the problem: the chief financial officer of Freddie Mac killed himself last April, and so have some Americans who have been evicted from their homes. The U.S. government’s National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, begun in 2005, is also getting record numbers of calls: 57,625 in August 2009, up from 47,191 the same month a year before.

The facts may show the relationship between "selfishness" and "suicide."
Suicide is also related to changes in the brain and to chemical imbalances. These factors may override the ability to reach out, may increase impulsivity, or may lower resistance to self-harm. Reports also show that about 40% suicide victims had a known history of mental illness. Many more had an undiagnosed mental illness. This say, that not enough is being done to prevent suicide among those dealing with mental illness. Every human community needs suicide prevention resources.

This is from a website - Teens need to know.
"Ignorance about mental illness contributes to suicide. Stigma keeps many people from seeking help, worrying what others may think of them increase the suicide risk as this fear may stand in the way of them doing something about this problem."
"Selfish is as selfish does."

It is really a dang gum topic.....Selfish is part of the illness, but it follows question of "right to judge". OK classy enough.

Death on Millburn Tracks a Presumed Suicide.

Glad they deleted all of Matt's comments. To find out bloggers home address and post it is immoral and classless.

Luke, you wrote and delete:
All victims are to be protected by the public health. The railroad company should perform evaluation to avoid suicidal access by putting up fence for many safety reasons. The killed man case has not been announced as suicide. The public mental health should also provide channel for victims who witness the tragedy to seek therapy as well. Turning an accident case to a suicide case is a crime. We need the report to confirm the cause of dealth.

Never mind. I see your comments up there.

So, the attention is to show the public how the victim wanted to end life? Enjoy your family time on Thanksgiving.

42 USC 10606 - Sec. 10606. Victims' rights
US Code - Title 42: The Public Health and Welfare
(1) The right to be treated with fairness and with respect for the victim's dignity and privacy. (2) The right to be reasonably protected from the accused offender. (3) The right to be notified of......... (4) The right to be present at all public court proceedings related to the offense, unless the court determines that testimony by the victim would be materially affected if the victim heard other testimony at trial. (5) The right to confer with......... attorney for the Government in the case. (6) The right to....... (7)

Should read about articles on Michael Jackson's trial? He was asking for sleeping help.
-Victims tended to presumed suicide behaviors if the victim was under depressants medication.
-Railway system with the application of a barrier approach is to measure reducing the attractiveness of railway as a means of suicide. Railway suicide and fatal accidents analysis and prevention is to be studied.

How is it possible there haven't been any updates to this story since November 22nd? Do they still not know who this individual was after more than a week? It's like the entire story just got completely forgotten about.

It is amazing to me that nobody has updated this sad story. He must have lived near Millburn...didn't they ever find out who he was? Maybe that was part of his problem, maybe a parent passed away and he was all alone. I wish they would update this story if they found out who the man was. So sad...

Seriously? Nearly three weeks later and there's nothing new to report about this story? How incredibly disturbing that someone can jump in front of a train like that and, yet, go unclaimed by anyone for this long.

Thank you, Laura. Much appreciated.