A 17-year-old high school football star who had signed with Georgia Tech died Monday after being struck by a freight train in Deerfield Beach, Florida, authorities said.
Bryce Gowdy was hit by a freight train at approximately 4:06 a.m., the Broward County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
He was taken to a hospital where he died. The sheriff's office said it is investigating the circumstances surrounding his death. The cause and manner of death will be determined by the county medical examiner's office.
Gowdy was just days away from enrolling at Georgia Tech on a football scholarship, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported. His uncle, Thomas Gowdy, told the newspaper the football star was ambitious.
"He wanted to be famous," Thomas Gowdy said.
Georgia Tech head football coach Geoff Collins said in a tweet Monday that Gowdy, a standout wide receiver and defensive back, "was an outstanding young man with a very bright future."
“He was a great friend to many, including many of our current and incoming team members," Collins said in a statement posted with the tweet. "On behalf of our coaches, players, staff and families, we offer our deepest condolences to Bryce’s mother, Shibbon, and his brothers, Brisai and Brayden, as well as the rest of his family members, his teammates and coaches at Deerfield Beach High School, and his many friends."
"We are heartbroken," Collins said. "Bryce will always be a part of our Georgia Tech Football Family. We will be praying for him and all those who love him.