MILFORD, PA — The Delaware Valley community is grieving the sudden loss of a much-beloved student.

Sixteen-year-old Riley Aaron Krick of Milford, PA, died on Monday, January 22. Visitation will be held for him from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, January 27, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 19 Delaware Crest, Dingman, PA, followed by funeral services at noon.

Riley died after being struck by NJ Transit Train #NJ43 approximately 1.5 miles east of Port Jervis Station at about 10:30 a.m., according to Dave Steckel, the media liaison for the Metropolitan Transit Authority. There was no criminality involved.

According to his obituary, Riley was a junior at DVHS, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and participated in orchestra, cross country, track, Scholastic Scrimmage, and Mock Trial. He was a lifetime member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Dingmans Ferry, where participated in the Youth Group and Vacation Bible Camp. “Riley enjoyed video games, board games, puzzles, reading, and fantasy football,” said his obituary. “He loved music and amusement parks. He had an amazing aptitude for trivia and was a passionate fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. He was known for his easy smile and his sense of humor.”

Memorial donations may be made to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Youth Fund, 103 Delaware Crest, Dingmans Ferry, PA 18328.

Brian Blaum, the Delaware Valley School District superintendent, posted the following message on the school’s website earlier this week:

“Dear Delaware Valley Community,

“It is with profound sadness that I write to you about the passing of a DVHS student, Junior Riley Krick. Our condolences, thoughts, and most especially sympathy go out to his family and friends. During this time, as the school community processes this sad news and copes with grief, please know that we will have support available for our students, families, and staff. If your child needs to speak to someone, we will have additional counselors available throughout the week. If you feel that your child is having difficulty understanding this tragedy, we encourage you to discuss their thoughts and feelings with them.

“Starting tomorrow, we will have grief counselors available for our students. Information on accessing these supports, as well as any additional resources, will be posted on Schoology as soon as they become available. Our hope is that members of our school community can support each other through this terrible tragedy.”

Caden McGoey posted online, “Me and Riley would share breakfast every single morning before school with our group of friends. We would all be laughing, telling jokes, poking fun at each other, and having an amazing time before school started. Riley never ceased to put a smile on every single persons face every morning with his jokes/commentary that would spark an amazing start to every day for everyone around.”

Photographer John Russo kindly gave the River Reporter permission to use the photo that accompanies this story. He posted his condolences on the Facebook page of the DV Turkey Trot, in which Riley participated. "Riley Krick was a beautiful soul on this earth taken away from us way too soon," he wrote. "My thoughts and prayers go out to the Krick family and many others who were close to him."

Editor's note: This article has been updated.