Wheaton College Freshman Dies in Train Accident After Church Service

Tomassino Offer, an 18-year-old freshman at Wheaton College, died Sunday morning after being struck by a freight train in Illinois. According to reports from local authorities and a Metra spokesperson, the incident occurred near Main Street around 10:30 a.m. after the student attempted to cross the tracks following the passage of another train. He reportedly did not see the second train approaching from the opposite direction.

Offer, a member of the college’s baseball team and a native of Washington Township, Michigan, had just attended Mass at St. Michael Catholic Church with a friend. The Rev. Santos Castillo, who spoke with the student shortly before he departed, noted that Offer was a regular attendee at the parish.

Wheaton College held a memorial service on Sunday evening, and a memorial Mass was conducted at St. Michael on Monday. In a statement, the university and the baseball coaching staff expressed their grief, describing Offer as a sincere and faithful Christian. His father, Benny Offer, shared that the family finds comfort in their faith, stating that they view their son as having belonged to God throughout his life.