Western Springs, Illinois: Amtrak Train Hits Car at Wolf Road, Two Killed and One Hurt

Two people died and a third person was taken to a hospital after a westbound Amtrak train struck a car at the Wolf Road crossing in Western Springs on Wednesday morning, village officials said. The crash closed Wolf Road and Grand Avenue and stopped Metra trains on the BNSF line for most of the morning.

Amtrak said train No. 381, traveling from Chicago to Quincy, struck a vehicle on the tracks just west of La Grange at about 8:10 a.m. A spokesperson for the Village of Western Springs said two people were killed and one person was hurt. ABC 7 Chicago reported the injured person was taken to Loyola Hospital in Maywood. Officials had not released the names of the people who died by early Wednesday afternoon, WGN reported.

A witness told the Chicago Tribune the car caught fire after the crash. Emergency crews worked at the crossing through the morning while investigators examined the scene. Officials have not said why the car was on the tracks or how the crash happened.

No one on the train was hurt

Amtrak said no injuries were reported among the 35 passengers and crew members aboard train No. 381. WGN reported the passengers were taken off the train and given bus transportation. The train had left Chicago on its morning run to Quincy, in western Illinois, and reached the Western Springs crossing during the morning commute.

Metra said it was notified at about 8:20 a.m. Inbound and outbound BNSF trains were halted, and Metra warned riders to expect extensive delays. CBS News Chicago reported that multiple inbound and outbound trains were canceled and that trains were not expected to run through the crossing again before noon at the earliest.

Evening commute runs in pieces

At about 1 p.m., Metra told BNSF riders to make other plans for the evening commute. Inbound and outbound trains will run between Chicago Union Station and La Grange Road, and between Aurora and Hinsdale, with no train service between Stone Avenue and Highlands. Two Pace buses will carry riders between La Grange and Hinsdale.

Metra also pointed riders to Southwest Service and Heritage Corridor trains as alternatives and warned of significant crowding at Union Station on Wednesday evening. In Western Springs, the crossings at Wolf Road and Grand Avenue stayed closed, while Lawn Avenue remained open, ABC 7 Chicago reported.

The investigation is ongoing. Riders should check Metra alerts before traveling, and drivers should avoid the closed crossings until officials reopen them.