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Miami community mourns student's death

Katie Taylor, Editor in Chief

(Chris Curme, Community Editor | The Miami Student)

Today the Miami University community mourns the loss of 19-year-old sophomore Jacob Jarman, who was found dead on Oxford railroad tracks early Saturday morning. The Oxford Police Department (OPD) continues to investigate, according to Sgt. Jon Varley.

"During the investigation, they're going to try to determine if it was deliberate or an accident," he said. "To do that, we'll check phone messages, talk to friends and go back as far as we can to see if there are any issues with relationships, etcetera ... they'll check all that and see if there were any known issues."

The body of the deceased male was located by OPD at 9:13 a.m. on the tracks east of the intersection of South College and Foxfire Drive. Oxford Township Police Department, Miami University Police Department and railroad personnel provided additional support.

Jarman's time of death has not yet been released.

In the last eight years, five individuals have died after being hit by a train in or just outside Oxford, according to Varley. Including Jarman, four of those individuals were Miami students.

Varley explained that the train tracks in Oxford are the private property of CSX Transportation.

"With the miles and miles and miles of track they have, there's no way to [regulate trespassing]," Varley said. "If they see there's a problem in a certain area, they'll address that area."

OPD attended the autopsy this morning and is awaiting the toxicology report.

It has not yet been determined whether alcohol played a role in the student's death.

"If it can be determined that [underage intoxication] was a direct causation or direct factor, then yes, it will probably be acted on," Varley said. "And if there was clearly somebody responsible, they could also end up being charged."

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A second-year transfer student from Greenwood Village, Co., Jarman lived in Hahne Residence Hall and was studying journalism and communication.

President David Hodge addressed the Miami community with a statement on Twitter.

"We mourn the tragic death of a Miami student this weekend. Our hearts go out to the family in their grief," Hodge said.

The Miami community has begun to mourn and express their sympathies through Facebook and Twitter.

Jarman's family has been notified and is en route back to Colorado for his burial.  

With additional reporting by Chris Curme, Community Editor.