Man hurt in train, van collision
By Mike Nolan mnolan@southtownstar.com October 8, 2012 5:22PM
A silver van struck by a Metra train in Midlothian on Monday is loaded onto a tow truck. | Mike Nolan~Sun-Times Media.
Updated: November 10, 2012 6:21AM
A man was injured Monday evening when a Metra train and a van collided near 149th Street and Pulaski Road in Midlothian, police said.
The victim’s identity and the extent of his injuries were not immediately released by police, but they said he was conscious and was taken to a local hospital. Police said the driver was the only person in the van.
All Metra trains on the Rock Island Line were stopped as of 5:15 p.m. after the inbound train struck the van, Meg Reile, a Metra spokeswoman, said. She said the train involved was due downtown at 5:25 p.m.
Reile said Metra was investigating to determine whether the van driver went around the lowered gates at the Pulaski Road crossing.
Crews removed the silver van and loaded it onto a flatbed tow truck about 6:15 p.m. By about 6:30 p.m., trains were moving again, a passenger on one of the trains said.
The injured driver was taken to South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest, but a hospital spokeswoman was unable to provide any information about his injuries or condition.
The Rock Island Line runs from downtown Chicago to Joliet. As of about 8 p.m., trains on the line were still experiencing delays of about 20 minutes, Reile said.
