HAINESWORTH, Ill. — The driver of the truck was killed and a passenger was injured Monday morning when a Metra train struck a dump truck at a private railroad crossing near Grayslake, Ill.
The cab car of the inbound Milwaukee District North train derailed as a result of the collision about 7 a.m. The injured passenger was taken to a hospital in Libertyville, Ill., with what were described as minor injuries, the Daily Herald reports. About 40 passengers were on board.
A 50-year-old man from Buffalo Grove, Ill., was driving the tractor-trailer dump truck when it was struck at the Hainesville Road crossing. As a private crossing, the location is not protected by crossing gates or lights.
The accident disrupted the Monday morning commute, but the scene had been cleared by 5 p.m. Friday and service is normal as of today (Tuesday, May 24).
People have forgotten the rules of STOP LOOK & LISTEN. What’s worse is that some DMV instructors first responders don’t follow the rules. Case 1, while renewing my licence at DMV I was waiting for my licence to come out of the printing machine. an instructor that was giving a driving test to a first time driver said that he would pass and give the youth her licence, but she should have stopped for the stop sign at the rail crossing near the DMV.
Case 2 Next to the tracks in my town is a traffic light. 4 or 5 vehicles can stop before the crossing gates. Can’t count the times that a Fire Truck, Ambulance or Police car would stop “ON” the tracks waiting for the traffic light to turn green.
It seems most people have forgotten highway safety or think they are entitled because they are occupying that space first.
That crossing has crossbucks with stop signs already.
I’m pretty sure its Hanesville also
Yes. I used to live up there and was scratching my head as to “Hainesworth”. Kept thinking there might have been a forgotten burg or something.
Private unsignalled crossings on any right of way, but especially passenger ones, are death guaranteed sooner or later.
I’m sure the risk management officer would love to close the crossing. But legally they can’t because that private crossing is essentially a legal easement right. Automatic warning devices are expensive and the property owner would have to pay for the installation. I’m not sure if vegetation sight line regulations apply to private crossings. However I think it’s long past time for the railroads to have to maintain a 25′ clear zone along railroad tracks.
A simple stop sign at every crossing like that and employee awareness training might help.
“Private Crossing.” “Dump Truck”
Is this the North Central service? If so it’s on CN’s former Wisconsin Central or Soo Line — the same railroad that has had at least two unsignaled private crossings in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. One of them, a residential driveway, has been closed. One that remains is at a heavily used construction company yard. No gates or signals, just a parade of “dump trucks” in and out all day.
Both the railroad and the construction company have risk management officers, so who am I to second-guess risk management officers?
I second-guess them.
Charles, this was on the Metra Milw North Fox Lake Sub. Junctions off the CHI-MKE line at Rondout.