Struthers police release name of man killed by train

STRUTHERS

Police have released the name of the 40-year-old city man who was killed by a train Sunday afternoon.

Donald Shirilla of Wilson Street was hit on the tracks under North Bridge Street shortly after 2:45 p.m., when the Struthers Police Department received the first of two phone calls from him, expressing his intent to commit suicide, said Police Chief Tim Roddy.

In his first phone call, Shirilla said he was under the Center Street Bridge, and the Struthers dispatcher immediately transferred the call to the Youngstown Police Department. Shirilla then called back, saying he was now under the Bridge Street Bridge. He was emotional and crying, Roddy said, and he spoke of "personal issues."

At that time, Shirilla was lying between the rails, and once the train engineer saw him, he began to sound his horn and apply his brakes. Shirilla then sat up and was struck, an impact that threw him into a signal pole. The train was traveling eastbound, at between 50 and 53 mph.

The Mahoning County coroner's office is investigating the incident. Roddy noted, however, that the police department's investigation is "pretty much over."

"We'll probably defer to what their findings are, but at this point, we're considering it a suicide," he said.