Union Pacific Train Hit Car In Palatine – Making Morning Commute Impossible

Posted on December 27, 2011 by srigney In category: Community News Leave a Comment

According to The Chicago Tribune: 9:04 a.m. CST, December 27, 2011

At least one person appears to have been badly hurt when a Metra train struck a car in Palatine this morning, shutting down the Union Pacific Northwest Line in both directions.

The accident occurred about 7:30 a.m. at a crossing at Brockway Street in the northwest suburb, Metra said. It was not known whether there were any injuries.

Tony Greco was working in an auto repair shop about 100 yards from the crash site when it happened.

“I heard the big boom and as I looked up, I saw the train push the car,’’ said Greco.

He saw rescuers take one person covered up from the wreckage of the car, which he thought may be a Mercury Sable. No one else was in the car. “There was no way anybody could survive that,’’ Greco said.

The wreck occurred as one train was stopped at the Palatine station and a second express train sped through, Greco said.

The gates were lowered at the time and Greco surmised the motorist may have been trying to go around the gates but did not know the second train was coming.

John Watson who also works nearby, said as of 8:45 a.m., the train was still stopped.

“There are dozens of emergency vehicles out there,’’ Watson said. “It’s a sea of flashing lights.’’

The train, number 622, had left McHenry at 6:53 a.m. and was due downtown at 8:13 a.m. Metra did not know how long the delays would be and urged commuters to find alternate transportation.

According to an eyewitness account, the car was on the tracks and blocked in by other cars behind it. Other drivers attempted to back up to allow the car to get off the tracks, but it was too late.