Last May, 22-year-old Aaron Salazar was found severely injured along the train tracks in Truckee. While his recovery continues, Amtrak has released little information about its ongoing investigation into what happened.
For the latest update, KUNR's Michelle Billman checked in with Bob Conrad, publisher of ThisisReno, who has kept in touch with Salazar and his family.
Aaron Salazar, the young man who was found in May critically injured along train tracks outside of Truckee, Calif., continues to improve and is speaking.
A video shared by his family with ThisisReno shows Salazar saying that he did not jump from the Amtrak train he was riding from Denver to Sacramento.
“I did not jump off the train,” he said. “I’d never, ever try to kill myself.”
His statement contradicts what Amtrak’s Police Chief, Neil Trugman, said at a press conference in May. Trugman described Salazar as “distraught” while on the train between Reno and Truckee. The Chief claimed that, after the incident, Amtrak investigators spoke with 300 people as part of the investigation, including Salazar’s friends.
“He had several conversations with passengers and crew while aboard that train,” Trugman said. “He was very distraught. All indications right now appear that it was an attempted suicide. There’s nothing to suggest he involuntarily was removed from that train.”
You can read more of this story at ThisIsReno.
