Commuters on Chicago's south side experienced significant delays Thursday morning following a collision between a Metra train and a vehicle. According to WGN-TV, the incident involved Southwest Service train #808 and occurred near the intersection of West 87th Street and South Pulaski Road. The crash led to both inbound and outbound trains on the Metra SWS line being halted near Ashburn.
Additional details emerged from eyewitness reports and the families of those involved, revealing that two teenagers were in a car en route to school when they were inadvertently pushed onto the tracks due to a crash with another vehicle. “They’re all banged up right now so they’re at the hospital being checked out," the girls' father, Paul Smith, told NBC Chicago in an interview. Remarkably, the girls managed to quickly get out of the car before the train's impact — a collision that occurred around 8:30 a.m., Paul Smith recalled. As a result of the train striking the car, Metra SWS passengers were faced to endure delays of up to 80 minutes.
Scenes from the collision site showed a silver car severely mangled, especially at the back. Paul Smith, speaking on the rapid unfolding of the events, said, "Once the gate guards came down, everybody started getting out of their cars, because they knew it wasn't enough time," Smith said. "They knew that the car was going to be impacted by the train.” The event not only disrupted train schedules but also contributed to major traffic backups in the area.
The aftermath of the crash left many questions unanswered, including the possible consequences for the driver of the other vehicle involved in the incident. While operations resumed by around 10:45 a.m., the clarity over the driver's culpability or any charges remained unclear. Metra officials, though confirming the delays, have not provided information on the cause of the crash nor specified if there were any other injuries. Updates, they said, will be given to surely come as more details are revealed.
