Friends of a Barrington High School student spoke during an emotional vigil held Friday to remember the 17-year-old girl who was fatally struck by a train on her way to school.
The incident happened around 7:45 a.m. Thursday at the Union Pacific Railroad train tracks in the area of Main Street and Hough Street in Barrington.
Marin Lacson, 17, of Barrington, was attempting to walk across the railroad crossing when she was struck by a Metra train.
A candlelight vigil was held Friday evening at Barrington Campus Life Center in Barrington.
Friends and community members packed the building full during the event.
Numerous friends of Lacson, several of whom were crying, spoke out in remembrance of her.
One friend said she had played on many different teams with Lacson, who always managed to make others feel like they were playing really good, even if they were not.
“And she just always knew how to make people feel welcome and if you were like alone, she’d like come up to you, make friends with you,” the friend said.
Another friend said Lacson loved everyone around her and “she was so nice to everyone.”
Kyle Kinnamon told Lake and McHenry County Scanner he was the one who called 911 to report the collision between Lacson and the train.
“This was a devastating accident that happened right in front of me on Route 59 before I got to the light at Main Street,” Kinnamon said, adding that the incident was not a suicide and the gates did not malfunction.
Kinnamon, who works in Barrington at an office two blocks away from the train crossing, said he watched the “life leave this poor girl’s eyes” as he was on the phone with 911.
“She was walking south and the westbound train had just gone through and she must have assumed that was the only one coming because she didn’t stop at the sidewalk, and as soon as she passed the gate the eastbound train came out of the fog and hit her,” Kinnamon said.
“It was all over in seconds,” he added.
Officers and paramedics arrived and confirmed Lacson was dead at the scene, officials said. No one else was injured.
Barrington School District 220 Superintendent Dr. Craig Winkelman said in an email to the school community that Lacson was a junior at Barrington High School who was in the Chinese Immersion Program.
Marin, who was also on the lacrosse team at the high school, previously attended Countryside Elementary School and Station Middle School.
“Please know we are continuing to do everything we can to help the BHS community cope with Marin’s passing,” Winkelman said.
The superintendent said that Lacson was accidentally struck by the train while walking to school.
A dense fog advisory was in effect at the time of the incident.
“Additional Barrington 220 counselors will continue to be on hand at BHS for any student needing support,” Winkelman said.
“We have established a specific team of adults at BHS for the purpose of supporting all of our students during difficult times like this. Additional support is also available for students at all of our school buildings who may need to talk to someone,” he added.
Isabella Benton, who was a fellow lacrosse teammate of Marin, said Thursday it would be a “very difficult” season without her.
“She’s just such a personality. She’s just so nice to everyone and it always made everyone feel welcome,” Benton said.