18-year-old from Metro Detroit hit and killed by train near Chicago
FOX 2 - An 18-year-old from Washington Township was killed by a train on Sunday morning.
The backstory:
Tomasino Offer was crossing train tracks in Wheaton, Illinois where he attends college, at the time of the accident.
Offer was leaving church service with a friend and was hit by an eastbound Union Pacific train just before 10:30 a.m.
A spokesperson for Metra told Chicago’s ABC-7, that he waited for the westbound train to pass, and was not aware of a second train coming from the opposite direction when he was hit. Metra is the train system for the Chicago area.
Offer, a Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 2026 graduate, was a freshman at Wheaton College, Illinois.
The student-athlete, also known as Tommy, was attending the college studying business and to play baseball. Wheaton, Illinois, is about 25 miles outside of Chicago.
Offer Mourned By ND Prep Community
What they're saying:
On the Notre Dame Preparatory School Facebook page, Head of School Andrew J. Guest wrote about the tragic loss.
Guest said he was an outstanding student and extraordinary young man.
"Tomassino had a bright future filled with promise, and he possessed a kind heart that touched those around him," Guest said in a statement. "He embodied our mission to form Christian persons, upright citizens and academic scholars and was a wonderful example of what it means to be a good Christian person, and his loss leaves an immeasurable void in our community.
"We mourn his passing, hold his family close in our hearts, and pray that they find comfort and strength in the love and support of the NDP community."
A prayer vigil was held in remembrance for Offer at Saint Lawrence Catholic Church in Utica last night. A similar service was held at Wheaton College Sunday night.
Dig deeper:
Offer was an all-state baseball player for Notre Dame while in soccer, he started in goal and helped lead the program to its first ever state championship.
The Source: Information for this story is from published reports as well as the Notre Dame Prep Facebook page.