Friends fondly remembered a 19 year old killed when he was hit by a train in Leduc Monday as a fun loving guy.
19 year old Daniel McPherson was killed when he was walking along the train tracks in Leduc and was hit from behind by a train.
Police believe he was wearing headphones and didn’t hear the train coming.
McPherson attended Leduc Composite High School where a memorial is now set up so students can write notes about him.
His friends remember McPherson as a guy who loved music and horsing around with his friends.
“He just always made you laugh,” says friend Torrell Red Iron, “He had a wicked sense of humour.”
“Fun moments -hanging around with buddies,” Brandon Loney said laughing as he remembered his friend, “elbowing people while playing basketball.”
Grief counselors have been brought in to the school for support.
As we go thru the day teachers who would have taught Daniel are having a really hard time during that block. So it's tough,” says principal Bill Romanchuk.
Christian Whyeth went to see what happened when he heard someone was hit by a train. He didn’t know he would soon be helping police identify his best friend.
“His Grandma was the worst. I’ll never forget just the look of distraught and distress,” he told Global News.
“He was on his own,” says Whyeth, “If I had been there it wouldn’t have happened.”
And when asked if it was normal for Mcpherson to wear his headphones while he walked, Whyeth says McPherson was really into music, “Yup - he died listening to the music he loved.”
School officials plan to give notes written by students at the memorial to McPherson's family.
With files from Laurel Clark
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