Razzano, T. (2004, October 13). Oncoming Train Kills Dowling Student. Lion’s Voice, p. 7.
Oncoming Train Kills Dowling Student
by Tina Razzano
Dowling College lost a student from its Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) this past summer, just a little over a month after after the program of college preparatory classes had begun. Isaiah Stanton, a 17-year-old Bay Shore native slated to join the men’s basketball team at Dowling, was killed July 14, 2004 when he was struck by an oncoming westbound train at the Oakdale station of the Long Island Rail Road.
Stanton and his girlfriend, 18-year-old Esmerelda Santiago, also from Bay Shore and an HEOP student at Dowling, had planned to take the train home in order to pick up some belongings before returning to the Oakdale residence halls. After realizing they were at the wrong platform for the westbound train, Stanton was struck by the train around 9:30 p.m. while trying to get from the south platform to the north platform by crossing over the tracks. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Santiago was taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore that night for psychiatric treatment.
A 6′3″ star basketball player in high school, Stanton was voted most valuable player his junior year, and was team captain his senior year. Stanton also excelled off the court. He was a motivated student who knew when it was time to focus on his studies. Many described him as “a great kid” and “all-around good guy.” Stanton’s goal was to study hard, make the dean’s list and to become a social worker.
“He was very likable and had a personality that everyone gravitated toward,” said Ken Parham, varsity basketball coach at Bay Shore High School. Stanton’s death is not the first tragedy to affect his family. Just one year ago his mother died of a heart attack after a long battle with diabetes, leaving him to live with his older brother who became his guardian.
Stanton is survived by his brother, Tyrone Stanton, 23.
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Last Modified on January 26, 2012, at 07:19 PM by steam showers
