Philips Academy Says Student Killed By MBTA Train In Andover Was A Suicide

ANDOVER, MA -- Phillips Academy officials are calling the death of a 17-year-old senior who was hit by a train in Andover Tuesday night a suicide. The school sent a note to parents Wednesday and identified the student as Daniel Nakajima. The 17-year-old senior was hit by an outbound train on the Haverhill line that runs from North Station in Boston shortly after 7 pm Tuesday night.

"I am writing with great sadness to inform you that one of our students, Daniel Nakajima, died last evening by suicide," Headmaster John G. Palfrey Jr. wrote in the note to the school community. The school held a gathering Wednesday morning and made Wednesday classes optional for students.

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Nakajima was listed on the roster for the school's track and field team and competed in the high jump, long jump and triple jump, as well as the 100 meter race. He was also an artist, with many of his works posted on his Twitter account. The last post on that page was August 3, when he shared a digital painting he had made.

Finally made another #digitalpainting for practice pic.twitter.com/aXCzxPiWCz
— Dan Nakajima (@dnakajiima) August 4, 2017

First responders from the MBTA Transit Police and the Andover Fire Department were on scene by 7:25 pm Tuesday night. They tried to revive Nakajima at the scene near 38 Andover Street. He was transported to Lawrence General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Services arrangements for Nakajima have not been finalized.

Photo of Andover MBTA station by Pi.1415926535 via WikiMedia Commons.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites).