FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office says a fatal crash between a teenager and a train is not being investigated as suspicious, nor is it an accident.
As the investigation continues, they say it could take more than a week to release the official report on what happened because of the circumstances surrounding the young girl’s death.
Out of sensitivity for the family, First Coast News is not identifying the victim killed, but close friends say she was a sophomore at Fleming Island High School where she was considered a great athlete for the track and cross country teams.
“She was the fastest one on the distance team,” a close friend and teammate told First Coast News.
She recalls the last time they spoke, about a week ago, when the victim told her she was ready to come back and compete following a hip injury.
With the boys and girls running teams close, the principal called a special meeting with them on Thursday, along with grief counselors.
“It was silent, no one talked, just tears and crying,” her teammate said. “He said he had to talk to her mom, she has a little brother and a little sister and it was hard on them.”
On Friday, they wore her favorite color to her school in her memory and gathered together in a prayer circle after the last bell rang.
“We all gathered together in the breezeway and it was just silent, everyone was wearing red, it was so touching.”
This student’s death marks a second in less than a year for the school.
“It seems like there is a lot of tragedy here,” her teammate said.
It’s been a tough year for many students, who say they are still waiting on more information from staff.
“There’s been four deaths in the senior class,” Destiny Salyard said.
Parents expressed their concern, too.
“We lost one at Orange Park a while back so it’s kind of scary,” Kris Staton said. “It hurts because I wonder if they are getting the kind of emotional care at school.”
The victim’s friends, teammates and coach describe her as “happy” and said she could light up the room.
“She was hilarious, she always had a smile on her face,” her teammate said. “And she was beautiful too, she was a joy to be around and she was really sweet too. She was nice to everyone, she could talk to anyone, really, it was like instant friends.”
The teams are hoping to plan a vigil in her honor in the coming days.