A 49-year-old woman was shoved off a CTA platform and onto the tracks on Chicago’s North Side Thursday night, according to police. The incident unfolded in Wrigleyville on the platform in the 900 block of West Addison Street just after 8:15 p.m. Area Three detectives have opened an investigation, and officials said five people were being questioned. The woman’s injuries were reported as non-life-threatening.
Police response and what's known
Chicago police told CBS Chicago the woman was standing on the platform when a group pushed her onto the tracks. She was taken for treatment with non-life-threatening injuries. Officers said they were questioning five people in connection with the case, and Area Three detectives had been assigned. Police also asked anyone with video or eyewitness information to contact investigators.
Not an isolated problem on the 'L'
A recent investigation by the Chicago Sun-Times found there have been more than 60 incidents of riders being shoved onto CTA tracks over the last five years, or roughly one per month, illustrating how often these dangerous encounters occur. That reporting traced a mix of motives in those cases, from robberies and fights to random attacks, and noted that not every pushing incident results in a train strike.
Where it happened and the bigger transit picture
The platform near Wrigley Field is served by the Addison station on the Red Line, and the CTA lists the station at 940 W. Addison St. The incident comes amid heightened federal scrutiny. The U.S. Department of Transportation says the Federal Transit Administration has launched a Safety Management Inspection into state oversight of the CTA, and local reporting has highlighted stepped-up patrols and K-9 units on trains as officials push for faster safety improvements (FOX 32 Chicago).
What to watch next
Police have not announced any arrests, and it remains unclear whether charges will be filed as detectives continue their probe. Riders who witnessed the incident or captured video were urged to contact Area Three detectives to help the investigation.
