Crime & Safety

George Mason University Athlete Struck, Killed By Metro Train

Rising George Mason University senior Patrick Sibley was a member of the men's volleyball team.

By  Jennifer van der Kleut 

A young man who was struck and killed by a Metro train traveling through Falls Church after walking on the tracks Sunday has been identified as a George Mason University men's volleyball player.

Read: Man Killed By Orange Line Train

GMU officials issued a statement Monday morning saying that the entire school was mourning the loss of Patrick Sibley, a rising senior, saying he was a well-liked student athlete.

"The Mason community is deeply saddened to hear of the death of Patrick Sibley,” said Athletic Director Tom O’Connor. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, his friends, teammates, and all who are affected by this tragedy."

The statement from GMU indicated Sibley had joined the men's volleyball team in 2012 after playing one season at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn. After sitting out his first season, officials said he had a "prolific 2013 campaign" in which he earned All-Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association first-team honors. 

According to the school, both Sibley and his older brother, Shaun, got to play together on the team in 2013.

"Patrick Sibley was a world-class athlete. In a brief period of time he quickly developed into a dominant volleyball player," head coach Fred Chao said. "However, it was his love for his teammates and friends that shined the brightest. He had a unique ability to pursue his own goals and ambitions while at the same time fiercely support and encourage his teammates. I am honored to have been his coach.”

"Patrick demanded the best of himself in everything he did, and he brought the best out of everyone around him," said David Lucas, a senior on the volleyball team. "Pat’s impact on the volleyball court was unmatched - yet, his impact in our lives reached far beyond the sport itself. Pat’s laugh was contagious. His smile—which he was rarely seen without—could turn the worst day into a good one."

"Every single one of his teammates considered him a dear friend," Lucas continued. "He always put those around him first, and he had a loving heart that will never be equaled nor forgotten."

"Our hearts are broken, but our minds are filled with the countless precious memories we shared with our beloved teammate, brother, and friend, Patrick Sibley. We miss him deeply," Lucas added.

GMU officials said Sibley was an integrative studies major with a concentration in advertising.

Counselors are being made available to students affected by Sibley's death at GMU, officials said.


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