N.Y. College Student Dies After Spending Night Outside in Subzero Temperatures: Police

Police say the 20-year-old man may have climbed through the snow near Interstate 88 shortly before his death

A student at SUNY Oneonta has died after being exposed to the extreme cold for several hours, according to officials.

Tyler Lopresti-Castro, 20, was found lying on the pavement near the Silas Lane Bus Garage by Exit 13 on Interstate 88 in New York by a group of city employees just before 7 a.m. local time on Thursday, according to a statement released Friday by the City of Oneonta Police Department.

Police say the victim, who was identified by his SUNY Oneonta student ID, was treated at the scene before being taken to AO Fox Memorial Hospital in Oneonta, N.Y.

SUNY Oneonta said Lopresti-Castro ultimately succumbed to his injuries at the hospital, per News 10 ABC.

Police said in Friday's statement that Lopresti-Castro appeared to have been exposed to subzero temperatures for an "extended" period of time. According to News 10 ABC, officials say the victim was not properly dressed for the extreme cold.

"A search of the surrounding area indicates Lopresti-Castro may have walked off the roadway at the eastbound off-ramp for I-88 at the intersection of Route 205, climbing through the snow and crossing a drainage creek before emerging on Oneonta City property," the department said in Friday's statement.

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An investigation into the incident is underway. Police say there is "no indication of criminality" involved.

PEOPLE has reached out to SUNY Oneonta for comment.

Police say video reviewed from the bus garage showed Lopresti-Castro emerging "from a wooded area behind the garage" around 2:15 a.m. local time Thursday morning. The student had not been seen since midnight.

Police are now looking for help from anyone that has information about Lopresti-Castro's whereabouts between midnight and 2:15 a.m. "to complete the timeline" of events.

The victim was last seen in a grey hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans and may have been walking around River Street Service Road, Oneida Street, or Chestnut Street during the given timeframe.

SUNY Oneonta had celebrated the first day of its spring semester on Wednesday, according to the college's social media accounts.

Lopresti-Castro was a junior studying accounting at Oneonta when he died, according to a GoFundMe created by Oneonta Parent to Parent group administrators. The victim was a resident of Nassau in Rensselaer County, News 10 ABC reports.

A spokesperson for SUNY Oneonta said in a statement to ABC News that it is "a very sad time" for the school.

"Our campus community is mourning the loss of one of our own, and we are focused on providing support to the student's family and friends," the statement said. "Our hearts go out to them, and we are providing whatever assistance we can to help them during this difficult time."

Donations to the GoFundMe — started "to honor the memory" of the late SUNY Oneonta student — will first go towards sending flowers to the victim's family. The remaining proceeds will go toward a new scholarship in Lopresti-Castro's name.

A second GoFundMe campaign started by Lopresti-Castro's friends promises to send its donations directly to the victim's mother and stepfather.

"Tyler left an impact on every person he met by giving so much love and support," the description reads. "We believe it is time to pass that on to the people that need it most in his life, his family."

The group added, "Forever a friend, forever family, forever best friends and always in our hearts."

Individuals with information regarding Lopresti-Castro's death are asked to contact the City of Oneonta Police Department or the New York State University Police at Oneonta.