Flowers placed in the Bellhaven Nature area in honor of the train strike victim, who lived in nearby. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
Several hundred friends, family members and fellow students of the Red Bank teenager struck and killed by a train Wednesday gathered in mourning at a park near his home just hours after his death Wednesday evening.
Students carried bouquets, lit candles, and released balloons in his honor. They shared hugs, tears, and words of tribute to their schoolmate at the Bellhaven Nature Area at the foot of Locust Avenue.
From the halls of his high school in Little Silver to the shoreline of the Swimming River where the gathering was held near his home, a palpable sense of shock and grief descended on the community as word spread of the tragedy throughout the day.
A solemn gathering at the Bellhaven Nature Area in honor of a 16-year-old student killed in what school officials described as an accident on Wednesday. (Photo by Brian Donohue)
“It is with profound sadness that we inform you that a RBR student lost his life this morning in an accident in Red Bank,” read an email sent to parents shortly after 10 am by Red Bank Regional High School Superintendent Louis Moore.
A subsequent email sent by Moore on Wednesday evening read in part, “Today, our focus at school has been on supporting students with compassion and care. Counseling and support personnel were available throughout the day for any student who may have needed assistance. This will continue tomorrow and into the future.”
“We also encourage families to check in with their children this evening and create space for conversation,” the email continues. “Often, students benefit most from calm, honest, and reassuring support from trusted adults. It’s also best to limit exposure to rumors or social media speculation.”
NJ Transit police are continuing to investigate the incident.
The 16-year-old male student was struck by a northbound NJ Transit train scheduled to arrive in Red Bank at 6:20 Wednesday morning, NJ Transit officials said. Investigators at the scene were focused on an area just south of the Chestnut Street grade crossing.
By yesterday evening, another memorial had taken shape there with mourners laying candles and bouquets near the spot where he had died.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331.
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