Popular 16-year-old hockey player is hit by a train and dies. His family is devastated

A standout college hockey player died last week after being hit by a train in his hometown.

A week after the tragedy in New Canaan, Connecticut, 16-year-old Elliott Kropf is remembered by his family as a loving and passionate person.

He died when he was struck by a Metro-North train at the Talmadge Hill station around 11:10 p.m. Saturday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department confirmed in a statement.

The collision does not appear to have any criminal aspect, police said. The high school student was also pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

The state's medical examiner's office said Elliott's cause and manner of death had not been determined, and the New Canaan school board praised him for his achievements on the ice and as a student in a statement over the weekend.

Elliott was a standout player on the hockey team at New Canaan High School, where he was a senior, and also an “outstanding student,” officials said.

“My heart breaks for Elliott, his family and all who knew and loved him,” said Bryan Luizzi, announcing that classes at the city's schools would be delayed by two hours on Monday because of the boy's death.

“Let us think of them together, pray for them and support each other during this difficult time.”

In closing, the official noted that the 12th-grader was both a “good student” and an “outstanding athlete” during his three years at New Canaan High School, while also giving his friends and family time to talk with counselors and staff.

Athletic director Jay Egan announced that all New Canaan High School sporting events scheduled for Monday would have to be postponed as local residents grappled with the unexplained tragedy.

“There are really no words for this,” he said in his own statement. “You lose a family member, that's what it is. It's hard on everybody. It's hard on the students, it's hard on the teachers, and everybody just wants to do the right thing.”

The day he died, Elliott was playing a hockey game in a fall league that was not affiliated with his school but featured many of the same players, his father, Scott Kropf, told the Stamford Advocate.

He then went home after showering, going out to dinner and spending time with a friend, his father said.

At some point he left again, but never came back.

Elliot is pictured here with his parents Scott Kropf and Ngoc Dinh. “He loved life, he was passionate. When he loved you, you knew it,” his mother said

“He loved life, he was passionate, when he loved you, you knew it,” his mother Ngoc Dinh said in an interview with the local newspaper this week. “He set the team [the New Canaan High School Rams] and friends as family.

“We thank everyone for loving him too.”

Against the backdrop of overwhelming support, the couple and their two younger sons Charlie (15) and Harrison (9) are now trying to understand the tragedy.

While the circumstances of his death remain shrouded in mystery, Krop's “last day was beautiful,” his father said, noting how much time the teenager spent with friends, teammates and family.

“It was everything he loved,” Kropf said.

He said of his son's memories on the ice: “He was really magnetic. One of the kids called him the 'glue guy' – because he held the team together.”

A memorial service was held at St. Aloysius Church on Monday, where attendees were asked to “bring hockey sticks and/or golf clubs to Weeburn for a minute's silence and a group photo.”

Elliott was also an avid golfer and was recognized by Chairman Michael Mauro at the start of Wednesday night's City Council meeting.

While the circumstances of his death remain shrouded in mystery, Krop's “last day was beautiful,” his father said, noting how much time the teenager spent with friends, teammates and family.

Elliott was also an avid golfer and was remembered at the beginning of the city council meeting on Wednesday evening.

“I would like to acknowledge the loss of one of our wonderful children in the city in a very tragic incident over the weekend,” he said.

“And I would like to suggest a minute’s silence in his honor.

“This is one of those moments in life that completely destroys your existence and we mourn as a community with the family,” Mauro continued.

'[Let’s] We are thinking of them and praying for them as they are going through an extremely tragic time.'