Riverside Mother Dies Saving Baby From On-Coming Train

Riverside police and transportation officials were investigating the death of a mother killed when a Metrolink train struck her, moments after pushing her toddler in a stroller out of the way.

The Eastbound Metrolink 860 hit Susan Dibene at the Mary Street/Brockton Avenue grade crossing shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday, according to police and a coroner’s spokesman.

Dibene, 33, lived in Riverside.

The child, believed to be about 2, was unharmed.

Witnesses told police the crossing arms were down, and the warning lights were flashing.

“The railroad safety arms came down to indicate a train was coming,” police Lt. Jaybee Brennan said.

The stroller apparently got caught on the tracks, and Dibene pushed it out of the way just before being struck.

“I just came from the store and I was walking and all I saw was the baby getting out of the railroad tracks and what I did was just get the baby, get her in the sidewalk, because I didn’t want her to get hit by other cars,” said Sandra Catillo, a witness.

“I was just like at first I saw a man, and I was like did he leave her their. But then I was like no because someone else came and told me that the lady was passing by. And I was like did she randomly come out of nowhere, did she fall off the train? Then I was like no, her mom had got run over.”

About 60 people on the train, which originated in Oceanside, were shuttled by bus to the end of the line in San Bernardino.