Man, Woman Fatally Struck By Metra Train
(STMW) -- Seven BNSF line trains were canceled Wednesday night after two people were fatally struck on elevated tracks in the Little Village neighborhood.
A male and a female, whose ages were not immediately known, were struck on elevated tracks about 4:50 p.m. by inbound train no. 1272, near 21st Street and Homan, according to police and Metra. The location is just a mile west of the Western Avenue station, Metra spokeswoman Meg Reile said.
Family members say the victims were siblings who often crossed the tracks as a neighborhood shortcut.
"I was praying to God that it wasn't them," Larry Jackson tells CBS 2's Chris Martinez.
He said his wife and her brother were the individuals who were struck. Positive identifications were expected from the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office on Friday.
Seven trains, all outbound, were canceled.
BNSF trains in both directions were initially stopped for about an hour and a half but were moving again by 7:08 p.m. Delays were expected up to two hours, according to Metra. Trains would not stop at the Western Avenue stations for the rest of the night, Metra said.
Riders should consider alternative transportation, such as the Union Pacific West line out of the Ogilvie Transportation Center, Metra said on its website.
A reduced schedule on the line was expected for the Friday morning rush-hour period, Metra said.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)