18-Year-Old Freshman Struck By Train In Wheaton After Church Visit

An eighteen-year-old recent graduate from a prep school stood waiting by the tracks, intending to walk across just after a train had cleared them. He never saw the locomotive approaching from the other direction and was struck instantly. Tomassino Offer died when an eastbound Union Pacific freight train hit him at roughly 10:30 am on Sunday in Wheaton, located west of Chicago.

A Metra spokesperson stated that witnesses saw Offer try to cross the rails after one train passed. He remained unaware that another train was rushing toward him from a completely different direction. The Reverend of St. Michael Catholic Church spoke with Offer moments before the fatal accident occurred.

'I definitely saw him before he left, and he just waved at me,' said Rev Santos Castillo. 'He came here together with his friend Joe. Together they were here, and who would have known that was the last time he'd be in church?' Castillo explained that the college freshman and his companion left the building to head toward Chicago.

The reverend told ABC7 that Offer had moved from Michigan to Illinois specifically to play baseball for Wheaton College. 'He was Catholic,' Castillo said. 'He came here very diligently every Sunday to worship with us.' The priest described him as a nice kid who did not talk much but prayed often. Tomassino Offer, 18, died after the eastbound Union Pacific freight train crashed into him on Sunday morning.

Organizers managed to raise more than $45,000 in a single day to support the Offers family. 'There's so many things we don't understand about this life,' Castillo remarked. 'So we need our faith to help us navigate through these difficult times when you don't see the bigger picture.' He urged others to hold onto their faith now even more so.

Offer's high school, Notre Dame Preparatory School in Pontiac, Michigan, released a statement honoring him. They wrote that Tomassino Offer was an outstanding student and an even better young man. He was loved by his teachers and classmates and had many friends. These included soccer teammates with whom he won a state championship, as well as his baseball teammates.

The Preparatory School posted on Facebook to address the tragedy directly. 'We mourn his passing,' they wrote. 'We hold his family close in our hearts and pray that they find comfort and strength in the love and support of the NDP community.' The post added that Tomassino had a bright future filled with promise and possessed a kind heart that touched those around him.

A mass was held on Monday at Saint Lawrence Catholic Church in Utica, Michigan, in his honor. This event gave his friends, family, and loved ones a place to grieve. Wheaton College also held a separate memorial service on Sunday night. Rev Santos Castillo told ABC7 that the freshman moved from Michigan to Illinois to play baseball for Wheaton College.

St. Lawrence Church, Notre Dame Prep, and Keller Williams Lakeside set up a GoFundMe account. This allowed friends and loved ones to honor Tomassino's memory and express their love for the Offer family. It served as a gesture of togetherness from a community that holds them close. The website stated above all they wanted the Offer family to know they are loved and not walking through this alone.

Your kindness is deeply appreciated if you feel moved to give, according to the site. Your prayers, messages of love, and sharing of this fundraiser were equally meaningful ways to support them. The Daily Mail reached out to the Chicago Police Department for comment on the incident.