Officials have identified a 17-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a Metra train while walking to school in Barrington Thursday morning, NBC Chicago’s Natalie Martinez reports.
Officials have identified a 17-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a Metra train while walking to school in Barrington Thursday morning.
The inicdent took place just before 8 a.m. on the Union Pacific Railroad tracks near Main Street and Hough Street in Barrington.
There, officials said a preliminary investigation found Marin Lacson was attempting to cross the tracks after a train had passed, but was "was struck by a second train passing through the area," according to the Lake County Coroner's office.
Though officials did not provide any additional information on the cause of the accident, it did come on a particularly foggy morning in the Chicago area, with every county under a dense fog advisory through Thursday afternoon and early evening.
Upon arrival, officers found a female pedestrian had sustained fatal injuries as a result of being struck. No other injuries were reported, the Barrington Fire Department said.
Local
Some roads were closed and some Metra trains were delayed following the incident.
Later Thursday morning, Barrington High School released a statement saying Lacson was a BHS student who had been "accidentally" struck by the train while walking to school.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
"Marin Lacson was a junior at BHS who was in the Chinese Immersion Program and a member of the Lacrosse team. Prior to attending BHS, Marin attended Countryside Elementary School and Station Middle School," the school said in a release. "This morning Marin was walking to school when she was accidentally struck by a train on Route 59 and Main Street."
Friends and teammates of Lacson honored her legacy on Thursday night, speaking of her impact on their lives.
"I'm just thinking about all that she'll never be able to do. It's hard," friend Isabella Benton told NBC Chicago.
Fellow teammate Paige Janicki described Lacson as her "partner for everything."
"She had the best, positive energy, so beautiful. Her own personality. That's what I loved about her, just amazing," Janicki said.
Janicki said the news of Lacson's passing left her in shock.
"I found out she passed away, no it's not her. It can't be her," Janicki said.
Both girls looked back on photos of them together celebrating Janicki's birthday a few months ago, never imagining it would be one of their last great times spent together.
The school said it was offering counselors to students in need of support following Lacson's passing.
"We have established a specific team of adults at BHS for the purpose of supporting all of our students during difficult times like this," the school said. "Additional support is also available for students at all of our school buildings who may need to talk to someone."
According to officials, the incident is being investigated by the Barrington Police Department, with the assistance of the Metra Police Department.
