Chad Ehrhart, 20, of Lodi, hoped to become a commercial helicopter pilot. He was killed Aug. 24 crossing the Union Pacific Railroad tracks at East Locust Street. (Photograph courtesy of Chad Ehrhart's family)

Tracing Chad Ehrhart's path

Questions remain unanswered in Lodi train death

At 9:26 p.m. on a recent Sunday night, Chad Ehrhart bought a single ticket for "The Dark Knight," along with a large popcorn and 32-ounce drink. He was alone at Lodi Stadium 12 Cinemas on School Street.

A few moments after arriving, for reasons unknown, the young man with short blond hair and hazel eyes left the theater.

Wearing a blue-and-white striped Polo shirt, gray shorts and his trademark backwards cap, 20-year-old Chad weaved his way east, past Downtown's brightly lit avenues and attractive storefronts.

Was he drinking? Authorities believe so.

Was he headed to see old friends, "the wrong crowd," as his mother, Lisa, fears? It's still unclear.

This much, though, is known:

On that night, Aug. 24, a freight train from Tracy rumbled north up the steel Union Pacific train tracks.

The massive locomotive was destined for Roseville.

Chad's path and the train's crossed at 9:47 p.m.

Laughter and pain

Chad Ehrhart was never big on wrapping gifts in pretty paper.

Smothering them with newspaper was more his style.

But as his step-sister Emily's seventh birthday approached in May, Chad went all out.

He scraped together some cash to buy Emily a digital camera, and placed it in a gift bag with ribbons, bows and even matching tissue paper.

"He dangled it off his finger and said 'How's that?'" his mother recalled, describing the softer side of her son.

Chad's short life was filled with laughter, joy and love. It was also defined, however, by a longing for acceptance, drinking and brushes with the police.

He'd begun to free himself from that pain and old friends. He gained a new job, a new set of friends and confidence, his family said.

That's why his death was so stunning to family, friends and coworkers, many of whom saw his future as limitless.

"He was really coming into his own," said Dennis Kaufman, manager at Twin Arbors Athletic Club in Lodi, who promoted Chad to the club's maintenance staff about six weeks ago, and marveled at his aptitude.

Coworkers spoke of Chad brightening their day with a joke or just his wide grin, of delivering them supplies even though that wasn't his job.

"He had tons of potential — that's why it's a shock," Kaufman added.

Ready to soar

Chad Ehrhart was born in Rapid City, S.D. on May 5, 1988.

As a young boy, Chad performed magic tricks for his family and had endless energy.

"He was spunky. He was full of life ... curious about the world," his older sister, Karri, 22, said.

Chad's parents divorced when he was 10. His mother drove Chad and Karri west to live in South Lake Tahoe.

After five years, Lisa had remarried and the family moved to Lodi.

That's when Chad fell in with the wrong crowd, said his mother and stepfather.

While in Lodi, Chad was homeschooled. On occasion, he visited his biological father, who had moved to Reno.

Chad had hobbies like shooting hoops, filling journals with his poetry and taking computers apart just to learn how they worked.

Recently, he had been training to fly commercial helicopters in Sacramento. The school closed roughly six months ago, devastating Chad, his family said.

His time at the training center was his "proudest moment," his mother said.

"His dream has always been to fly, and that's since he's been a little, little boy," she said.

Roughly a year ago, his parents banned him from their home, using "tough love" to try to curb his bad habits.

He'd shown up drunk in front of them, and Emily, too many times.

In the time since, Chad seemed to right his path.

He found a new set of friends, largely from work. He was under the wing of an older coworker, who doubled as his best friend and roommate in an apartment on South Hutchins Street.

He seemed like he was ready to soar.

Too many deaths

Sadly, Chad's death is among many along railroad tracks.

As of late August, 43 people in California had been killed this year either at railroad crossings or while trespassing along the tracks. Those figures were reported by Union Pacific. Two deaths, including Ehrhart's, have been recorded in San Joaquin County this year.

Suicides are not included in the figures, said Zoe Richmond, a spokeswoman for Union Pacific.

A Center for Disease Control study published in 1999 showed a majority of people injured while trespassing along rail tracks were heavily intoxicated.

Toxicology results in Ehrhart's case were not available this week, Lodi police said. Police reported smelling alcohol on Ehrhart's body at the scene.

There is no evidence pointing toward a suicide in his case.

"How do you stop someone from walking around the (crossing) guard arms?" Lodi Police Capt. Gary Benincasa asked, noting signs have been posted at a few points along Lodi's tracks warning against walking on the tracks.

"I don't know what more could have been done in this case," he added.

Last hug

The last time Chad saw his mom was about three weeks before his death.

It was a hot summer day. Chad was on his lunch break from work, grabbing a bottle of water from his mom's house.

It was a quick encounter. The two didn't have much time to talk.

Before leaving, as he always did whether in his parents' good graces or not, he leaned down and embraced his mom.

"He just gave me a hug and just told me he loved me," his mother said. "And (that) he would talk to me soon."

Paths cross

By 9:35 p.m., the northbound freight train neared Stockton, cutting through the night.

Restaurants and coffee shops in Downtown Lodi were still open.

Local bars and liquor stores were open, too.

Did Chad stop inside for a drink? Did he buy a pack of cigarettes?

Did he pick up a pay phone inside the theater to call old friends on the Eastside?

Did anyone see him?

Those questions remain unanswered. A mix of sadness and anger boils inside Chad's mother, longing for closure, she said.

By 9:46 p.m., Chad had reached East Locust Street, just feet from the railroad crossing.

The crossing arms lowered, their red lights flashed in the night.

The train's engineer spotted Chad from 200 feet away, as he walked around the first crossing arm and onto the tracks.

He was holding a cigarette, "staggering around the tracks," according to a Union Pacific report.

The train's horn blared and the engineer slammed on the massive locomotive's brakes.

A rush of energy consumed the intersection, where Chad had nearly cleared the last of three sets of tracks, on his way east.

By the time the train arrived, at 9:47, Chad never looked up.

Memorial to Chad

Three small crosses, a handful of unlit cigarettes and dozens of dried roses mark the spot where Chad's body was found.

It's 147 feet north of the intersection, along the tracks.

Police say the young man was killed instantly.

They have closed the case for now, ruling it an accident.

A note left nearby reads, in part, "Chad, you always brought smiles to everyone's faces — everyone who met you loved you. You will have a special place waiting for you in the Lord's home ... "

Chad's mother said she remains consumed with questions.

She knows Chad left this world "with a heart full of love."

She just can't fathom why he had to leave so soon.

Her intuition tells her Chad strayed from the path he had begun to right.

She doesn't know for sure.

"He always was just drawn to the same group of people like a moth to a flame," she said. "He was just so better than that ... "

Contact reporter Chris Nichols at chrisn@lodinews.com.