- Alicia Leonardi, 42, was walking along train tracks in New Hampshire with her ex-boyfreind and a dog when the sound of a train horn prompted the off-leash canine to run off
- Leonardi died of her injuries, while he sustained minor injuries after they attempted to get the dog away from the tracks
- “She’s a very happy, smiling, bubbly girl, and I’m going to miss her very much,” said Cathleen Collis, the victim’s mother
A woman has died after she was hit by an Amtrak train when she tried to get a dog off the tracks in New Hampshire, authorities said.
The Exeter Police Department said in a statement that emergency crews responded to a wooded area of the train tracks outbound from the Newfields Road trestle on Monday, June 2, after train officials reported an incident.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police said the victim, Alicia Leonardi, 42, was walking with a friend and a dog along the tracks when a train approached from a corner behind them.
The dog, which was not wearing a leash, ran onto the tracks after the train sounded its horn, police added.
“The couple attempted to get the dog off the tracks and as a result both people were struck,” the Exeter Police Department’s statement read. “The woman suffered fatal injuries while the male sustained minor injuries.”
According to NBC affiliate WBTS and ABC affiliate WMUR, the injured man is Leonardi’s ex-boyfriend. The dog named Jackson was unharmed and belonged to him.
“She is a brave girl,” Cathleen Collis, Leonardi’s mother, told WBTS. “She’s always been a brave girl. Smart, loved to help people, loved to help everybody.”
Joe Gatley, a cousin of Leonardi, said in an interview with WMUR that the victim was a very kindhearted and strong-willed person.
“Live every day to the fullest because, you know, tomorrow’s not — there’s no guarantee,” Gatley said.
In addition to her mother, Leonardi is survived by her 24-year-old daughter.
“She’s a very happy, smiling, bubbly girl, and I’m going to miss her very much,” Collis told WMUR about Leonardi. “It’s just so sudden.”
The Exeter Police Department said that the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
“Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Ms. Leonardi,” police said.
