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Wheaton College baseball player Tomassino “Tommy” Offer was struck and killed by a train on Sunday. He was 18.
Tomassino “Tommy” Offer died following the incident that occurred around 10:15 a.m. near Main Street and Front Street, which is west of the college located in Wheaton, Ill. outside of Chicago.
Offer was stopped in his car at the railroad tracks for a westbound freight train and according to a Metra spokesperson, once the train went through the intersection, he began to cross the tracks and was struck by an eastbound freight train.
“Our team is grieving and our hearts are heavy as we grieve alongside Tommy’s family and friends,” Wheaton baseball coach Matt Husted said in a statement. “This is a difficult time for us all; however, we have peace in knowing he was strong in his faith and that Christ is with him and those close to him.”
“Tommy was sincere in all aspects of his life. He was joyful, but a competitor – all qualities that made him a great teammate,” he added. “He was really interested in other people and showed them that they were important to him. He really connected with people in the Wheaton community beyond baseball. He had a large network of people on campus.”
Offer, a Michigan native, was driving after attending church, per ABC Eyewitness News, and he spoke with Rev. Santos Castillo of St. Michael Catholic Church before leaving.
The reverend said Offer was on his way to Chicago with a friend.
“I definitely saw him before he left, and he just waved at me, and together with his friend Joe, they were here together, and who would have know[n] that was the last time he’d be in church,” Castillo said.
On Monday, students from Wheaton College and the surrounding community gathered at the church to honor Offer. The college also held a separate memorial on Sunday night.
Notre Dame Preparatory School in Pontiac, Michigan, also rememered Offer, its former student.
“Tomassino Offer was an outstanding student and an even better young man. He was loved by his teachers and classmates and had many friends, including his soccer teammates with whom he won a state championship, and his baseball teammates.”
The incident remains under investigation.