An Arizona mother of eight who had recently embraced a healthier lifestyle and renewed her faith was tragically killed during a morning run while recording videos for social media.
Thelma Candelaria, 47, was struck by a train in Eloy, Arizona, on Thursday, October 15, just days after celebrating her baptism and sharing her fitness journey with followers online.
Her family says she was wearing noise-canceling headphones and listening to music when the accident occurred.
Candelaria had been documenting her morning runs on social media, sharing cheerful videos as she worked toward her personal fitness goals.
In one of her final recordings, she appeared happy and energetic, flashing a peace sign and giving a thumbs-up while discussing her commitment to running.
According to her daughter, Alaisha Candelaria, her mother was enjoying music by one of her favorite artists, Canadian singer Jessie Reyez, during what would become her final workout.
“She was singing along to Jessie Reyez, which is her favorite artist. She was laughing,” Alaisha told Arizona’s Family.
But the ordinary morning took a devastating turn near a railroad crossing at Sunshine Boulevard and Frontier Street.
According to investigators, Candelaria was near two sets of railroad tracks when one train passed through the area. She began recording the passing train, apparently unaware that a second train was approaching from the opposite direction.
Her daughter believes the combination of noise-canceling headphones and the sound of the first train may have prevented her mother from hearing the danger.
“She had her noise canceling Beat headphones on. She was in her own world,” Alaisha recalled.
Eloy police said both trains sounded their horns. The engineer operating the second train also activated the emergency brakes after spotting Candelaria between the tracks, but the train was unable to stop before striking her.
Emergency crews responded shortly after 6 a.m. and pronounced Candelaria dead at the scene.
Her family had grown concerned when she failed to return from her usual morning run and reported her missing.
For those who knew Candelaria, the tragedy has been especially difficult because she had recently begun what loved ones described as a positive new chapter.
Less than a week before her death, she had been baptized, an important milestone that friends say brought her renewed happiness and purpose.
Family friend Amber Sherban reflected on that moment in an online fundraiser established to help Candelaria’s children.
“Thelma gave her life to Jesus Christ and was baptized,” Sherban wrote, recalling how her friend’s recent social media activity reflected gratitude, faith and optimism.
Sherban said she was grateful to have witnessed the baptism but was heartbroken for the children now facing life without their mother.
Candelaria was also known for her work as a caregiver, dedicating much of her life to helping others.
Her daughter Alaisha, 29, described her mother as a deeply loving person who made a lasting impression on everyone around her.
“She was an angel,” Alaisha said, recalling how people often told her how fortunate she was to have such a caring mother.
The family is now making funeral arrangements while also working to support Candelaria’s younger children.
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to assist with expenses and provide financial support during the difficult weeks ahead.
The Eloy Police Department’s Vehicular Crimes Unit continues to investigate the collision. Authorities have not announced a final determination about the circumstances that led Candelaria to be near the tracks.
The tragedy also serves as a reminder of the dangers around railroad crossings, particularly when headphones or other distractions may make approaching trains harder to detect.
For Candelaria’s loved ones, however, the focus remains on remembering a mother whose final social media videos captured the joy and optimism she had recently found.
What began as another morning dedicated to her health and happiness has left her family mourning an unimaginable loss.
Leave a Reply