Educators remembered 16-year-old Jefrey Ordonez as friendly and motivated after his death near the Merritt 7 station.
NORWALK, Conn. — Teachers, school officials and relatives are remembering 16-year-old Jefrey Josue Ordonez as a friendly teenager with plans for his future after he was struck and killed by a Metro-North train in Norwalk last week.
Ordonez, a Norwalk High School student, died after being struck shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, on a railroad bridge south of the Merritt 7 station. Connecticut’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later ruled his death an accident. The loss has prompted condolences from school and city officials and financial support for his family.
Norwalk High School Principal Lynne Moore said Ordonez had many friends and was known around school for his smile. She said he had played football for the school’s freshman team and described his death as a loss not only for the high school but for the broader Norwalk community.
Assistant Principal Reneé Torres remembered Ordonez as personable, kind and funny. She said he hoped to attend trade school after graduating and was motivated by his relationships with family and friends.
Ordonez’s sister, Angela Bonilla, also described her brother as friendly and hardworking. She organized an online fundraiser to help the family pay funeral, memorial and related expenses. By Friday afternoon, the campaign had received more than $18,000 from hundreds of donors.
The city of Norwalk and Norwalk Public Schools issued a joint statement offering condolences to Ordonez’s family, friends and classmates. The school district said it was working with the family and community providers to make support available to students and staff affected by the death.
MTA police said Ordonez was with two other people on the tracks without authorization when a southbound Metro-North train traveling from Danbury toward South Norwalk approached the bridge. The other two people, ages 17 and 20, were detained and charged with trespassing.
Firefighters responding to the area found Ordonez beneath a rail car on a bridge over a river. The location offered limited access and posed a fall hazard, forcing emergency crews to carry out a difficult removal operation before taking him to an ambulance.
Ordonez was transported to Norwalk Hospital, where authorities said he was pronounced dead at 9:39 p.m. About 25 passengers aboard the train were moved to a backup train, and no passengers or crew members were reported injured. Metro-North temporarily suspended service on the Danbury Branch before restoring it later that night.
The medical examiner has classified Ordonez’s death as accidental. As his family prepares memorial arrangements, Norwalk school officials have continued to emphasize support for the students, staff and relatives grieving the teenager’s death.
Author note: Last updated August 10, 2026.