Mokena Teen Killed By Joliet Metra Train: Coroner

JOLIET, IL — The Will County Coroner's Office announced that the person killed by a Metra train on Wednesday evening was 17-year-old Jacob Manka of Mokena. An autopsy performed on Thursday confirmed that Manka died of multiple injuries as a result of being a pedestrian who was struck by a train near Pilcher Park along the westbound tracks.

Manka was pronounced dead on Wednesday around 8:15 p.m.

An online article in The Joliet Herald-News indicated that area fire departments spent a good portion of Thursday searching the surrounding area as well as Hickory Creek for a possible second fatality victim, but as of 3 p.m. no such person had been located.

To read the newspaper's article, go here.

Meanwhile, on Thursday evening a woman named Bobbi Zuidema took to one of the New Lenox social media groups asking everyone to please help her.

"My son was hit by the train last night in Pilcher Park and he is assumed dead," she wrote, posting a photo of herself and her son in the private group.

"They stopped the search today at 3 p.m. because of 'the weather.' I can't have my baby in the water all night again! Please help me search the river banks! If you have a boat or canoe ... he could be anywhere in Hickory Creek or maybe even made it to the Des Plaines River by now."

The woman ended her comments by stating, "I appreciate all the love and support thank you!"

Previous Patch coverage is listed below:

There was one confirmed fatality of an unidentified male, and another person was reportedly missing after a Metra Rock Island train hit a pedestrian Wednesday evening. The Will County Coroner's office said the male pedestrian was pronounced dead at 8:14 p.m. on the westbound Metra tracks near Pilcher Park.

A group of young people were trespassing on a bridge near Lincoln Highway when the pedestrian was hit, Metra officials told Chicago's ABC7.

The station reported that there were four young people in the group, who were standing near the bridge that runs along U.S. 30 and Highland Park Drive on Joliet's east side. Metra police are investigating the incident.

The passenger train that struck the pedestrian was headed into Joliet, the Chicago television station reported.