On Friday afternoon, a pedestrian was fatally struck by a freight train near Lake Forest, Illinois, in an incident that also disrupted rail service in the region. Authorities responded to the scene at the intersection of Waukegan and Everett Roads after receiving reports of the accident, CBS News Chicago reports. The victim, identified by the Lake County coroner as 72-year-old William Morgan of Lake Forest, was pronounced dead by the officials. The timing of the crash led to temporary disruptions on both the Metra Milwaukee District North and Amtrak Hiawatha lines, service, however, was eventually resumed on a single track according to the police.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek confirmed Morgan died from "blunt force injuries as a result of the train incident," in a statement obtained by Lake McHenry Scanner. The incident occurred as a northbound Canadian Pacific Kansas City Southern freight train en route from Bensenville to Portage, Wisconsin, struck Morgan near the Fifth Third Bank on the east side of the tracks.
An autopsy was conducted on Monday by Lake County Coroner officials, further solidifying the cause of Morgan's death, according to Lake McHenry Scanner. As the investigation remains active, updates on the case are anticipated, with several agencies involved in the ongoing inquiry into the circumstances that led to this grievous loss.
