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P.A. High boy killed by train
Apparent Suicide Second in 13 Months for Class
by Lisa M. Krieger, Mercury News
A 15-year-old Palo Alto High School student struck by a train Friday night on a nearby railroad track is the school's second apparent suicide in 13 months.
Caltrain police said the teen was alone when he was hit by a southbound Amtrak passenger train around 7:45 p.m. on an empty stretch of track behind Town & Country Village Shopping Center. One block away, the school's football stadium was crowded with spectators, watching Palo Alto play Mountain View High School.
"How horrible. How very, very sad,'' said Margo Wixsom, a photography teacher who lost her son Ryan to suicide at age 18. Catching up on work in an empty classroom at the school on Sunday afternoon, Wixsom said the death triggered memories of last year's death, as well as her own loss.
"Every time a train passes -- every half hour -- you are reminded. Every time you hear the sound, you are reminded all over again.''
The train's engineer told police he saw the silhouette of a person walking along the tracks on the cool, wet night. The engineer said he slowed the train, blew its horn and flashed the lights. He said the person turned to face the train and stepped into its path. The train was traveling at 35 mph.
The tragedy comes as the school was beginning to heal from a similar death on Oct. 7, 2002. A 14-year-old student from the same class died on the same railroad tracks, only several hundred yards away.
Last month, his parents sued the manufacturer of Accutane, a popular prescription drug the freshman was using to treat his acne, but which the family claims led to his suicide. The family is seeking a jury trial and unspecified general and punitive damages.
There were 17 fatalities on Caltrain tracks in 2000; 14 in 2001; five in 2002, and 10 so far this year. Of those deaths over those years, about two-thirds were suicides, said Caltrain spokeswoman Jayme Maltbie Kunz.
Shocked by last year's suicide, Principal Sandra Pearson has devoted much of the past year to educating teachers, parents and students about warning signs of suicide or depression. She has repeatedly urged parents to be alert for signs of trouble.
She has encouraged teachers to reduce homework and get to know each student personally so they can recognize any change in behavior. She has said these and other efforts are credited with helping teachers and a classmate prevent three potential suicides last year.
"It has us very worried,'' she said Sunday about the most recent tragedy. "It is unnerving and makes us want to be even more vigilant for any signs of trouble.
"Yet at the same time we want to stay calm and optimistic because we have wonderful students.''
On Saturday, Pearson sent an e-mail to all students, parents and teachers to break the news about the recent death. She said she plans to meet with teachers and students this morning, and again with parents tonight or Tuesday night. Counselors will be on campus to provide emotional support to students.
Despite the recent deaths, Palo Alto teens are no more susceptible to suicide than any other kids, she believes.
"We know kids are under pressure,'' Pearson said. "But they're under pressure all over. I am not sure our youth are any different from those in other high-achieving communities.''
She said the school watches students who have a history of anxiety, depression, or sudden personality changes. For confidentiality reasons, Pearson could not say whether the youth killed Friday was being monitored.
The youth's family received visitors on Sunday but declined to talk to reporters. His older sister is a student at the high school, and an older brother graduated last year.
Last Monday marked the beginning of a new semester at the high school; report cards for the previous semester were issued on Thursday and Friday.
The teen and his classmates had just completed an English project Friday afternoon about a book entitled "A Lesson Before Dying,'' by Ernest Gaines. But Pearson and other teachers on Sunday said they doubted it triggered his death. While the title is provocative, she said, the subject focuses on race, identity and prejudice in the South.
Wixsom, the photography teacher, said she believes that increased discussion about depression, mental illness and suicide can save lives.
"It is true that parents here have high expectations,'' she said. "But suicide is not about parental expectations, any more than cancer or any other disease is about parent expectations. Suicide is caused by depression; mental illness,'' she said.
Wixsom said teenagers are "highly susceptible'' to depression. "And they don't feel comfortable talking about it. Boys, particularly, aren't encouraged to talk about their feelings. They want to be strong, tough it out. And they don't want to distress their parents. Girls may cry for help, first, but with boys, it is much more effective. It tends to be irreversible. It is a very clear choice.''
"Building a brick wall around the train tracks won't prevent suicide. Talking to kids will,'' Wixsom said. "What we say on Monday matters to every kid who knew him. It matters to everyone here.''
Printed with permission by the San Jose Mercury News
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