Pictured: Autistic boy, 11, killed in train tragedy as community mourns
An autistic boy who wandered off from a Sydney respite centre before being hit and killed by a train has been named at 11-year-old Alex Raichman.
Alex was staying at a respite care facility operated by Civic Disability Services in Oatley when he wandered off on Sunday night sparking a widespread search. He had severe autism.
Concerned resident Amy Scopellitti drove around Oatley looking for Alex as hundreds from the community rallied to find the boy.
Another volunteer Rosemary Sharpiro-Liu added “the whole of Oatley was on the street”.
“When I left home I said if that happened to my kid I'd want everyone out there and everyone was out there,” she said.
But sadly, two hours later the search was called off after he was found dead at Oatley train station. He had been hit by a train.
On Monday, Oatley residents left touching tributes to Alex at the station. Many had never met him.
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Resident Craig Walters hopes the family “know the community is with them”.
Ms Scopelliti described the boy’s death as “tragic” and hearing news of it was “really hard”.
“I was really upset,” she said.
The respite centre said Alex was having a short stay.
It added his death was tragic and distressing. It has also ordered an internal investigation to prevent further tragedies.