Victim in fatal train accident was a 26-year-old Connecticut woman

March 21, 2023 | By Lisa Scagliotti 

Update: The phone number for Washington County Mental Health Services crisis line was updated.

The incident happened along the rail line leading to the Waterbury Train Station from the south. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti 

The victim in Friday’s fatal accident with an Amtrak train in Waterbury was a 26-year-old woman from Connecticut, according to Vermont State Police who issued an update on Tuesday afternoon. 

An autopsy was performed at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington, police said in a statement. “The cause of death was identified as blunt force trauma to the head and neck, and the manner of death was determined to be suicide,” it says. 

Authorities identified the victim as Ariel Cunningham, age 26, of Waterbury, Connecticut. It is not clear why Cunningham was in Waterbury, Vermont, on Friday. Police said no further details are available in the case.

The tragic incident happened just before 8 p.m. on Friday as the northbound Amtrak Vermonter train approached the Waterbury Train Station for its scheduled 7:50 p.m. stop. The train travels between Washington, D.C. and St. Albans daily. 

Emergency responders were called when they received a report of an individual on the tracks who had been struck by the train. The victim was deceased at the scene. 

Most of the 19 passengers disembarked in Waterbury while the few remaining waited more than three hours before the train resumed its trip north. 

Mental health crisis resources 

Washington County Mental Health Services reminds readers that there are a number of potentially live-saving resources with 24/7 help for suicide prevention and those in crisis. 

“We were very saddened to learn of this tragic loss of life,” said Heather Slayton, communications coordinator at Washington County Mental Health. 

“We appreciate this opportunity to acknowledge that people are suffering. The past few years have been undeniably difficult for many in our community, and in fact, the world,” Slayton said. “While it is easy to feel alone in a community so full of people, we would like to remind folks that you are not alone. Help is a phone call away. We are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

Washington County Mental Health Services is available through the local phone number 802-229-0591 around the clock for anyone in immediate need of help and support. Those not in immediate need can find more information online at wcmhs.org.

Some other specific sources of help include: 

• The Vermont Crisis Text Line, available by texting the letters VT to the number 741741 at any time. It connects callers with a live, trained crisis counselor. 

• The Trevor Project provides mental health information and support to LGBTQ 
youth 24/7, year-round. The organization can be reached by phone, text or online chat. 

• The Veterans Crisis Line for U.S. service veterans and their loved ones is available by calling 988 and pressing option 1. The veterans line also has an online chat and a text option using the number 838255.

• 988 is the nationwide number to call to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline from any phone. It connects with a national network of crisis centers that provide free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. 

Two additional websites:

• The Vermont Department of Mental Health lists local resources around the state. 

• The Vermont Suicide Prevention Center is online with a number of resources available online and by telephone.