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‘I just had a feeling it was her’

Melissa Gaudette, 33, and Edwin Benitez-Figueroa, 36, died Saturday when they were hit by a Christmas-themed train near this spot in Wareham.Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff

WAREHAM — Jean Gaudette immediately knew something was wrong when an ominous call crackled over her police scanner.

She was at home, and her ears perked up when she heard scanner chatter that two people had been struck by a train.

“I just had a feeling it was her,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “I got sick to my stomach as soon as I heard.”

On Monday afternoon, Jean Gaudette sat on a chair at her home in Wareham, with her husband, Leon, standing beside her, trying to come to grips with the fact that their daughter, Melissa, was gone.

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Melissa Gaudette, 33, and Edwin Benitez-Figueroa, 36, were hit by a Christmas-themed Cape Cod Central Railroad train in Wareham, authorities said Monday.

Leon and Jean Gaudette said they don’t know how how or why their daughter and Benitez-Figueroa, her long-time companion, got struck. They said locals often walk along those railroad tracks and use them as a shortcut, and that’s probably what Melissa and Edwin were doing when they got hit.

“She probably was walking home,” said Jean.

“That’s all we can think of,” said Leon.

They said the couple had three children, ages 10, 12, and 18.

Melissa Gaudette was one of the victims.Suzanne Kreiter

Melissa Gaudette grew up in Brockton until she moved to Wareham with her family about 22 years ago, according to her parents. They said she studied cosmetology at the Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School and finished just a couple months shy of earning her diploma.

It was at high school that Melissa met the young man who would become the father of her children. They loved each other, and they were inseparable.

The Gaudettes treated Edwin like a part of the family. He recently built a large white birdhouse that they have hanging on a tree in their backyard. They joked that it was big as a condo.

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“We’re going to miss him a lot, too,” Leon said.

Her parents said Melissa was artistic and enjoyed coloring designs in adult coloring books. She loved animals — from dogs to lizards and everything in between — and always wanted to bring home new pets and take in strays. Her latest pets included a turtle that she found on the side of the road and a kitten she called Willow.

At the time of her death she was living with her parents. She previously worked for many years as a waitress at Hong Kong Island, a local restaurant that has since closed. They said she and Edwin doted on their children, and would take them camping and canoeing.

“She loved her kids,” Leon said. “She has a big family. We’re all going to miss her.”

Beth Stone, a spokeswoman for District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz, said the “[engineer] of the train is not facing charges and is not being identified. The investigation is ongoing by State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, Wareham Police and the MBTA.” Authorities haven’t said why the two were on the tracks.

The “Train to Christmas Town” was filled with more than 100 first responders and their children, invited to board the train for a dress rehearsal, according to a weekend statement from Cape Cod Central Railroad.

There were about 355 people on board the train, including about 200 children, according to Wareham police. None of them were hurt.

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On Monday afternoon Jean Gaudette’s face was red from crying. In between sobs, she said she hoped people would learn from this tragedy so it never happens again.

“I just hope to God people learn now,” she said. “ It’s just a senseless thing. Two precious lives. Gone in an instant.”


Travis Andersen of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe.