Metra’s Board of Directors has signed off on two major settlements totaling $43 million tied to a deadly February 2020 collision at 87th Street and Pulaski Road on the city’s southwest side. In that crash, a Metra train struck a car at the crossing, and the car then hit a teenage pedestrian, who later died.
The board approved the two payouts, a combined $43 million, at its meeting this week, according to the Chicago Tribune. The Tribune reports that the agreements resolve lawsuits stemming from the injuries and the death connected to the 2020 crash.
How the Crash Unfolded and Early Fixes
Reporting by the Daily Southtown and court records describe the February 2020 incident as a chain reaction: a Metra train hit a car at the crossing, and that vehicle then struck a teenage pedestrian who later died. According to the Daily Southtown account, the crossing gates came down on top of the car, and the driver, boxed in, tried to back up before the train hit. Three people in the car suffered serious injuries, that reporting notes.
Funding for modifications at the crossing had already been approved before the crash. Work completed in the summer of 2020 moved the gates closer to, and parallel with, the tracks in an effort to cut down on the risk of vehicles becoming trapped on the rails.
Board Move Closes Civil Claims
With this week’s vote, Metra’s board has resolved the remaining civil claims tied to the crash, according to the Chicago Tribune. The Tribune’s briefing did not provide a detailed breakdown of how the $43 million is divided among the individual settlements.
What Advocates Say Needs to Happen Next
Attorneys for crash victims argue the crossing is still hazardous and that relatively inexpensive fixes, from pre-signals to clearer stop-line signage, could help head off another tragedy, as reported by the Daily Southtown. “There’s got to be a drastic redesign there,” one lawyer said in that coverage.
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