NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—The man hit by a train at the New Brunswick station on March 25 was paroled from jail just over a month before the fatal incident, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections (DOC).
Frank Farriella, 50, was serving jail time for making terroristic threats to his family. He was paroled on February 18, according to the DOC.
Only a month later, Farriella leaned over the platform at the New Brunswick station and was struck by an oncoming express train.
According to ABC7’s Josh Eininger, ten minutes before the incident Farriella called his father saying “I can’t take it anymore. I’m going to kill myself.”
Farriella’s father reportedly called New Brunswick police, but by the time police arrived on scene it was too late.
NJ Transit spokesman William Smith told NJ.com “We haven’t discounted suicide. It’s still an active investigation.” Smith continued saying that it is not uncommon for express trains to ride on the outer tracks.
Before the jail stint for threatening his family, Farriella served 180 days for a restraining order violation, and 8 days for an unpaid fine.
After Farriella was hit by the locomotive, his body parts injured four other people, but none of the injuries were life threatening.
In total, four people were injured by Farriella’s body parts, including one 64-year-old woman was hospitalized with fractured ribs. Two other victims, an 83-year-old man and a 27-year-old man, joined her at nearby Robert Wood Johnson Hospital.
A fourth bystander victim refused medical attention and was not hospitalized.
