The Western community is mourning the death of Gareth Coombes, a 23-year-old student at the Richard Ivey School of Business, who was killed last weekend after falling from the CP rail bridge near Oxford and Gunn streets.
A statement issued by the London Police Service said two men were “out for an evening of socializing” and walking along the wooden rail slats on the CP rail tracks shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15 when one of them – Coombes – fell between the slats on the overpass. He died as a result of his injuries.
There was no train involved in the incident and police are not treating the death as suspicious.
“All of us at Ivey are deeply saddened by the death of HBA student Gareth Coombes. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends and classmates during this difficult time. The school has made counselling services available to members of our community who need support in the coming days,” Carol Stephenson, Ivey dean, said in a statement.
Coombes, originally from Victoria, B.C., studied Social Sciences at the University of Victoria before coming to Western. He was in his second year of an HBA at Ivey and was set to graduate this year.
Counselling is available to those who knew Coombes in the campus community through Western Student Services.