The Webster Groves Police Department continues to investigate the death of a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier whose body was discovered on Wednesday, Aug. 23, by a Union Pacific Railroad employee.
Webster Groves police report that the man was struck by a train in the area of Berry Road and Bonita Avenue. Circumstantial evidence indicates the man took his own life, according to Capt. Stephen Spear.
Officers responded to the scene at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 23 for a report of an unresponsive person. Officers were told that a railroad employee had located the man while conducting a heat inspection of the railway. A nearby U.S. Postal Service van had been left locked and unattended for hours.
“A white male, age unknown, had been struck by a train and was deceased,” Spear said. “All circumstantial evidence is indicative of suicide and no foul play is suspected. However, a death investigation is being conducted to confirm the nature of the incident.”
The Webster Groves Police Department would not confirm that the man was a mail carrier, but the Times was able to verify his employment through several other sources.
Jennifer Kirschten, a Webster Hills resident, said she was deeply saddened upon hearing about the death of the mail carrier.
“He was a dear, sensitive young man and we were very fond of him,” said Kirschten. “He always stopped to pet my kitties, which I think says a lot about a person. He always had a smile on his face.”