A Mayor in Brazoria county commits suicide

BetterThanEver · Oct 4, 2009

A mayor of a small town in Brazoria was lying on the train tracks, when a train ran over him. That's crazy.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6651054.html

Train hits Liverpool mayor in likely suicide
By ANITA HASSAN
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

The mayor of Liverpool died on Saturday after he was hit by a train during what appears to be a suicide, authorities said.

Brazoria County Sheriff's Office dispatchers received a call around 4 a.m. from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company that Mike Peters, 42, had been hit by a train at intersection of Liverpool and crossing 192, said Sheriff's Office investigator Jimmy Miller.

The train's engineer told officials he spotted Peters lying on the tracks and initiated an emergency stop, with the train whistle blowing.

Peters “didn't get off the tracks,” Miller said.

Investigators learned that Peters had been in a family argument shortly before the incident and may have been intoxicated.

“At this time, it appears to be by his own hand,” Miller said, adding that witnesses said Peters seemed depressed the past couple of weeks. “There is no evidence of foul play at this time.”

His official cause of death will be determined by the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office.

The news shocked the community, said Liverpool Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Lovett.

“No one saw this coming,” she said.

Born and raised in Liverpool, Peters became mayor about four years ago. His mother, Delores Peters, also serves on City Council.

“He was the most outstanding mayor that this city has ever had,” Lovett said.

Peters started a committee to organize festivals and parades on holidays to build the community in the town of about 400 people.

“The city was a little stagnant before, and he brought in youth and vitality,” Lovett said. “He just wanted our families to know each other on the street.”

Peters was involved when the city helped the state take in about 36 children from a polygamist sect's West Texas retreat last year. During Hurricane Ike, he was on the front lines, putting tarps on elderly residents' homes and handing out bottled water, Lovett said.

“He was just a champion at making people feel safe,” she said.

Peters was also instrumental in getting a new city hall building, Lovett said, noting that the used to run its offices out of tiny mobile home.

Married with two children, Peters was described by colleagues as a great boss with a calm disposition and a knack for diffusing difficult situations.
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