A pedestrian was killed on January 13th in Berwyn, IL, when he was struck by a train at the East Avenue crossing of the Burlington North Santa Fe line. The tragic Chicago train accident occurred at about 6:25 p.m. According to Berwyn Police, the male pedestrian was struck by an inbound train that was reportedly scheduled to arrive in the city at 6:42 p.m. The Chicago train accident delayed Metra service on the North Santa Fe line for about an hour. A train that was initially scheduled to depart Union Station for Downers Grove at 7 p.m. was cancelled as a result of the fatal Chicago train crash.
Emergency response personnel were able to determine that the man had died and was to be taken from the scene of the fatal accident to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. The Cook County medical examiner was not able to provide further information about the train accident victim as of 8 p.m. Thursday evening. The fatal Chicago train crash is still being investigated by local authorities.
Chicago area train crossings can be very dangerous for pedestrians and motorists alike.
The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that about 247 people were killed in vehicle-train accidents in the U.S. in 2009 and that another 431 died on or near train tracks. If you have any questions regarding train accident in and around Chicago or would otherwise like to speak with an attorney, please contact our law firm.