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Amtrak train crash in Lake Forest
A train crashed into a construction vehicle in Lake Forest this afternoon. Passengers left stranded for hours.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. - One person was hospitalized after an Amtrak train hit a construction vehicle in north suburban Lake Forest.
About 100 Amtrak passengers waited five hours in the rain and shine, missed connecting trains and the Bears game to finally get on another train.
What we know:
The crash happened around noon near the intersection of Everett and Waukegan roads, according to the Lake Forest Police Department.
First responders found a front-end loader that had been hit by a southbound Amtrak train from Milwaukee that was headed toward Chicago. The front-end loader was being used by a Metra work crew performing maintenance on the track when it was struck.
The front-end loader operator was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No one on the Amtrak train was hurt, but the front of the engine suffered significant damage, and the tracks were pulled apart by the force of the impact.
All train traffic was stopped on the Milwaukee District North line. Car traffic was not affected.
Still, drivers were asked to stay clear of the area as investigators from multiple agencies worked to process the scene and clear the accident.
What they're saying:
"I was having a good time, enjoying the sights. And then all of a sudden it got real shaky. And I thought we were going to come off the tracks," Tabitha Keys, an Amtrak passenger said.
Keys was among about 100 passengers on board the southbound Amtrak Hiawatha train.
"We were still going like 40 miles an hour. And all of a sudden, we felt a little shake and a little rattle, and there was some noise and the train just kind of came to a screeching halt," Tiffany Pettengillo, a passenger, said.
The passengers waited for a long time after the incident.
"It’s been like three hours now. At this point, we’ve kind of dug our heels in," Pettengillo said.
Bears season ticket holder Ellen Jacobson was still hoping to get to Soldier Field on time.
"I took the 11:23 figuring OK, I’ll get there on time. I’ll be able to tailgate. I’ll get there before the gates open. And I’ve been sitting here," Jacobson said.
Passengers said they didn't receive any communication from Amtrak.
"No. I don’t know what’s going on. Nobody knows what’s going on. This is a waiting game," Jen Walsh said.
Ray Walsh was among seven people from St. Louis, who missed their connecting Amtrak train back home.
"So we’ll stay in Chicago. Get some pizza and beer and hang out in Chicago," Walsh said.
As for Bears fan Ellen— she could only listen on the radio.
Finally, just before 5 p.m., after five hours of sitting and waiting in the rain and shine, a southbound Metra train finally came to the rescue. A welcome sight for this tired and frustrated group of Amtrak passengers.