Tragedy as Scott Wulff a Jacksonville, Florida man is killed by a train trying to save his pet dog after becoming spooked by approaching locomotive.
Scott Wulff a 61 year old Jacksonville, Florida man has died after being running over by a train while trying to save his pet dog after it ran away from him.
Despite the pet owner’s frantic efforts, both Wulff and the man’s dog, Astrid -were fatally struck by an Amtrak train Sunday, November 12, 6pm, in the Murray Hill area reported First Coast News.
Witnesses say the pet dog became spooked by the locomotive’s lights and sounds as the train was approaching, only to end up running directly towards the tracks.
Wulff ran after her in a desperate attempt to capture his dog and pull her to safety, only to meet with tragedy.
‘I heard the train speeding by, then a loud breaking sound,’ Isaiah Boone told People. ‘So, I go outside and I see everybody drop down on the ground in tears.’
Boone who works as a cashier at a restaurant across the street from the accident scene told of seeing Wulff, a recovering alcoholic and formerly homeless man and his pet dog regularly.
Told Boone, ‘No matter how much or how little he had, he would always feed his dog first,’ Boone said.
‘He made sure he let everybody know how much he loved her and how proud he was of her. She was his world.’
Scott Wulff Jacksonville, Florida man had found in his accountability partner.
Wulff’s son Jacob said that Astrid, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, had been neglected and was roaming the streets when his dad found her. The dog, according to the son, ‘quickly became his father’s best friend.’
Reiterated Jacob Wulff, ‘She was homeless and running loose on a bad side of town. She ran straight to him and he just fell in love.’
‘My dad struggled with depression and alcoholism throughout his life,’ Jacob said.
‘She was his accountability partner. She depended on him for her survival and he knew that so having her really helped him keep his act clean. It was almost like his second shot at parenthood – taking care of someone. That was their relationship. Astrid helped my dad get through a lot of his depression and face his personal demons.’
Scott Wulff Jacksonville, Florida man had begun to turn his life round as a recovering alcoholic and formerly homeless.
Jacob told People that his father had become sober in recent years and had started working a landscaping job.
Friends of Wulff said he had recently become homeless after going through some tough times.
‘My father was a prideful man and he had become very distant over the past few months, I was worried,’ Wulff told firstcoastnews. ‘I wish I had known because I’m in the position where I could have helped him.’
Wullff had also become more of a family man and begun to spend time with his granddaughters.
Added the son, ‘People may say, “It’s just a dog”, but for someone to literally stare death in the eyes for something they believe in or someone they love is so incredibly selfless. One thing I’ve learned from my father in recent years is that people need to value life a lot more, and not just our own lives. We need to value others’ lives, too. He did that for Astrid, but what about all the homeless pets who don’t have anyone to put their lives on the line for them? I’ve never been more proud of my father than I am now.’
The son’s father’s death follows the death of his mother less than a year ago.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the Wulff family with memorial arrangements. As of Tuesday afternoon at time of publishing, EST, $2,120 of a $5,000 goal had been raised.
Wulff leaves behind two sons, one daughter and three grandchildren.
