BRANDON, Fla. — “Unimaginable” — that is how a pastor is describing the tragedy one Hillsborough County family is facing after a 17-year-old Brandon High School student was hit and killed by a train last week.

Jamar Bond’s mother identified him as the student who died.

“Jamar, he was a fun-loving person,” Jewell McMillan said of her son. “Everyone who came in contact with him loved him.”

What You Need To Know

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said a 17-year-old Brandon High School student was fatally injured after being hit by a CSX train on Jan. 8

Family members identified the victim as Jamar Bond

Bond’s mother described him as a fun-loving teen with an infectious smile who wanted to take care of her and his twin sisters

Sheriff’s Office officials said investigators are still working to determine what happened, but said it appears the teen was hit as he tried to jump out of the way of the train

McMillan said she wants people to know what made her son so special in life.

“He had a job. He was working,” she said. “His goal — he wanted to take care of me and his sisters so that I didn’t have to work, because he saw me working all the time.”

Bond’s death is harder to talk about.

“I really don’t have the words right now,” McMillan said.

Officials with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to the train tracks near Lakewood Drive on the morning of Jan. 8, just before 8:30 a.m. The reported finding a teenager who was hit by a CSX train. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and died the next day.

A Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said the name of the teen isn’t being released because the investigation is still active, but McMillan identified the victim as her son.

“This is unimaginable for any human to have to deal with, God forbid a mom,” said Pastor Elvis Piggott, a family friend.

Sheriff’s Office officials said the teen was walking on the tracks toward Brandon High School when the train came up behind him. Investigators say they are still working to determine what happened, but believe the teen tried to jump out of the way before being hit.

Sheriff’s Office officials said there was dense fog in the area that morning, and a pair headphones were found near the teen. 

While the investigation continues, Bond’s family is left to mourn the loss of a young man they say stepped up as a protector of his mom and twin sisters after his father died, looked forward to graduating next year, and was a light to those who knew him.

“If you came in contact with him, you would’ve loved him, his smile,” McMillan said. “He had a very contagious smile about him, and it just brightened up the room.”

A spokesperson for Hillsborough County Public Schools said grief counselors are available for all students at Brandon High School and that the principal visited classrooms on Friday.