by railtrailbiker
A day after escaping from a secure unit of Bergen Regional Medical Center, a mentally ill patient was struck and killed Wednesday by a NJ Transit train in an apparent suicide, authorities said.(From NorthJersey.com)
Wayne Romaglia, 42, of Carlstadt was killed by a Bergen County Line train traveling north to Suffern, N.Y., in an area of Wood-Ridge near the borders of Wallington and Carlstadt, said NJ Transit spokesman Dan Stessel.
The conductor told authorities that Romaglia, ignoring the train horn, "stepped onto the tracks and didn't move," Stessel said.
A hospital spokeswoman said she couldn't confirm the identity of the dead patient. She said, however, that the hospital was investigating how he managed to leave the secure Mentally Ill Chemical Addiction unit without authorization.
Spokeswoman Pat Chalmers said federal regulations prohibit the hospital from releasing information, including why the patient was involuntarily committed as well as how he managed to escape.
Phone numbers for Romaglia's family members couldn't be found Wednesday night.
Bergen County Capt. Kevin Hartnett said hospital security notified police of Romaglia's escape shortly after 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Chalmers, while not identifying Romaglia by name, said he fled the facility around noon Tuesday after being there for less than 24 hours.
The MICA unit cares for mentally ill and chemically dependent people, some of whom are there voluntarily and others who have been committed.
Romaglia was convicted in Passaic County in 2000 of drug possession and sentenced to 18 months of probation, records show. Detailed information about his case was unavailable.
