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Woman reported missing after jog struck and killed by train in Eloy

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Pinal County
Published October 18, 2026 3:51 PM MST
Published October 18, 2026 3:51 PM MST

The Brief

    • A 47-year-old woman was killed after being struck by a Union Pacific train in Eloy just after 6 a.m. on Oct. 15.
    • The victim, identified as Thelma Candelaria, was reported missing by her family when she did not return from a routine morning jog.
    • Union Pacific train engineers activated emergency brakes and sounded warning horns, but Candelaria was hit, reportedly leaving behind seven children.

ELOY, Ariz. - A woman was killed after being struck by a train in Eloy, just hours after her family reported her missing following her morning jog. 

What we know:

Eloy Police responded to reports of a pedestrian struck by a Union Pacific train near the railroad crossing at Sunshine Boulevard and Frontier Street just after 6 a.m. on Oct. 15.

Investigators said a Union Pacific train engineer saw the woman walking between two railroad tracks, and immediately activated the train's horn and the emergency braking system. Another train, coming from the opposite direction, had recently passed through and had also sounded the horn. 

"Despite these warning measures, the pedestrian was struck by the train," Eloy Police said. 

Credit: Eloy Police Department

The backstory:

The victim was identified as 47-year-old Thelma Candelaria. According to officers, her family had reported her missing after she didn't come home from her routine morning jog. 

What they're saying:

Her family told FOX 10 that she had been livestreaming her run just minutes before her life was cut short. Candelaria had been on a nine-day running streak, and was using social media to spread positivity. 

Just days before her death, she had been baptized.

Candelaria is being remembered as a vibrant, loving woman with a gift for making everyone feel like family. 

"She was just there to love and I, I've always believed that I have a very giving heart. But Thelma's heart far supersedes mine. By far, by far. So I just hope that I can be a quarter of the person that she was," Candelaria's best friend and neighbor, Amber Sherban, said. 

"Was just free and amazing. And really resilient and just an angel. Honestly, really, truly an angel," her daughter Alaisha Candelaria said. 

What we don't know:

It is unknown whether Candelaria intended to be on the train tracks. 

Dig deeper:

Officials closed the railroad crossing during the emergency response, but it has since reopened. 

This remains an ongoing investigation. 

What you can do:

The family has set up a GoFundMe to help support Candelaria's children with groceries, household bills, and everyday expenses. According to the fundraiser, Candelaria leaves behind seven children, including three minors. 

Map of the area where the pedestrian was struck. 

The Source: Information in this report was gathered from officials with the Eloy Police Department; statements from the family of Thelma Candelaria; Amber Sherban, Candelaria's best friend and neighbor; Alaisha Candelaria, Candelaria's daughter; details provided on a family GoFundMe fundraiser page; and FOX 10 reporter Jacob Luthi.

Pinal CountyNews