The 28-year-old conductor fell off the rear of a train while it was moving in reverse and it backed over her.
But what's abundantly clear is the heartbreak being felt by those whose lives she touched.
A GoFundMe page established after Cacy's death under the name Leslie Padilla Cacy offers a touching description of her, written in the present tense.
It reads in part:
Leslie (Padilla) Cacy is the wife of Devon Cacy, daughter of Daniel & Zandra Padilla, and sister of Laurie Padilla & Daniel Padilla Jr. They are a young couple being happily married for only seven months. Leslie is one of those people who always lit up a room with her unwavering smile and never shied away from lending a helping hand to anyone. The kind of person who loved incredibly deeply and saw the very best in everyone. She had an affinity for animals, but specifically dogs. She would go out of her way to say "Hi" to a pet owner and spend five minutes of her time getting to know complete strangers and their pets. She is truly a one-of-a-kind person.The tragedy that took Cacy's life is detailed by the Fremont County Sheriff's Office.
At approximately 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 28, according to the FCSO, deputies and medical crews were dispatched to a train on the Royal Gorge route.
The report: A female had been crushed by the train after falling off it.
The woman, later identified as Cacy, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sheriff's office investigators subsequently determined that Cacy, who'd been working as a conductor on the train, "was on the way back to the train station, about 4 miles from the station."
She was standing in the door opening at the rear of the train as it was backing up to the station, the account continues, "when she fell off...and was ran over."
The FCSO specifies that no foul play is suspected.
However, those looking into the tragedy would like to see any photos or videos taken by passengers on the train after Cacy fell — and there were a lot of folks who might have captured images.
Officials estimate that approximately 200 people were on the train at the time of the accident.
The Royal Gorge Railroad issued a statement after Cacy's death, noting that "we are absolutely devastated by the loss of our team member who died yesterday in an accident on the train. We have been working around the clock with authorities to figure out exactly what happened. Right now, our focus is on helping the Fremont County Sheriff’s office do its job, and taking care of our team. We will not be running the train for the next few days, and anyone with reservations will be refunded or may reschedule. We are a family run business, and our team members are like family to us. Our hearts are broken. We will share more information as soon as we have it.”
In the meantime, memorials to Cacy began popping up online. Take a post by the Fremont Veterinary Hospital, where she previously worked. FVH shared several photos, including this one....
...and this one....
...along with the following text:
To all of our wonderful clients and friends,Cacy's skill with animals was also remembered in this message on the aforementioned GoFundMe page: "I'm in total shock right now.... She worked at my vet and just absolutely LOVED MY DOG BULLY. She had a heart of gold. My heart goes out to her family. And my heart hurts so much for her sweet husband. RIP BEAUTIFUL GOD HAS A SWEET ANGEL."
In our deepest sympathies we want to inform you that Leslie Padilla-Cacy tragically was taken from earth Saturday May 28th. She will be remembered for her kind words, great hugs that she gave to all who needed comfort, and her beautiful smile and heart. She always went above and beyond to insure that our clients were happy the 5+ years she worked at Fremont Vet. She changed her career to work on the train 1 year ago but she will never be forgotten in all that she did here. God Bless and prayers go out to her family and friends.
At this writing, GoFundMe pledges have exceeded $16,000 toward a goal of $20,000. For more information, click here.
Passengers with photos or videos are encouraged to contact Fremont County Sheriff's Office, Deputy King, at 719-276-5553.
We offer our sincere condolences to the friends, family and loved ones of Leslie Cacy. Look below for a CBS4 report about the accident.
