Community Corner

Metra: Safety Gates, Lights Functioning Properly at Time of Fatal Crash

Video footage shows all Metra safety equipment was working properly at the time of Thursday's car and train collision, according to spokeswoman Meg Reile.

Video footage from a camera inside the Metra train that collided with a car Thursday, killing two women inside, shows all equipment at the crossing was "working as intended," a spokeswoman told Patch Friday.

In the footage, the car is not seen on the tracks prior to the collision, said Metra spokeswoman Meg Reile. 

"We have looked at the train event recorder and camera footage, and it does not show the car in the intersection," Reile said. "It shows the lights and gates functioning. Everything shows our systems were working as intended. The car was not in the intersection at the time of the crash."

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The footage shows the intersection near 167th and Central Avenue as the train approached, followed by the point of impact with the car, which jolted the front car off the track, Reile said. 

The footage indicates that the driver of the car drove into the train, Reile confirmed. A witness aboard the train  Thursday, shortly after the crash. 

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Metra's investigation is "essentially closed," Reile said. The Federal Railroad Administration has also expressed interest in the case. 

Sources are saying the driver of the car reportedly left what could be construed as a "goodbye note," though family members are taking issue with that.


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