Father questions safety measures after his daughter was killed by Chicago area train
CHICAGO (CBS) — A father shares his emotion after his daughter was hit and killed by a train two weeks ago, and he's questioning the safety of the particular train station and if more could've been done to prevent her death and the deaths of others.
At the South Shore Hegewisch Station, there are no lights, arms, or signs.
"We need to know why there are no safety precautions, especially at the Hegewisch stop.
"There are just so many questions. No answers right now."
Phil Bentkowski is filled with sadness and unanswered questions just two weeks after his 22-year-old daughter Grace Bentkowski lost her life after crossing the tracks.
"She was in the news. She loved the news. And if this is her way of knocking me on the shoulder saying, 'Dad, this got to be on the news, we have to get this word out. It has to be,'" Bentkowski said.
She was heading home to Dyer, Indiana, from work on the South Shore Line when her family last heard from her.
"She'd always ask, 'Mom, what's for dinner? What's for dinner?' And my wife replied, 'Chili, some cornbread, this and that.' She was like, 'Yippe.' That was the last text," Bentkowski said.
They tracked her location on an app. She got off at the Hegewisch Station but never made it home. The app then tracked her to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where Phil Bentkowski filled with questions.
"What happened to my little girl? Why wasn't I notified? What's going on? I don't know what to expect when I get there. Where I'm going," Bentkowski said.
Hours later, he learned his only daughter was gone.
"I'm looking for answers. I'm looking for answers. And I want people to be aware of their surroundings when they are on any train. But especially on that train," Bentkowski said.
The family said Grace got off the train before 7:00. She walked down the platform and then made a right to get to the parking lot. That's when a westbound train exiting the station hit her.
"No phone in her hand, no earbuds in her ear. The only thing she had in her hands at that time was her car keys," Bentkowski said.
Now, he's trying to get answers and prevent this tragedy from happening to others while remembering and mourning his daughter.
"To not hear that laugh of hers like I said, to not be able to hold her and tell her I love you. Kiss you on the forehead. You know, watch her get married," Bentkowski said.
CBS News Chicago contacted the South Shore Line and it sent the following response:
Our hearts and our deepest condolences go out to the family and the friends of the young woman who was struck by a South Shore Line train at the Hegewisch station on July 25 and who later passed away.
Nothing is more important to the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District and the South Shore Line than the safety of our riders. We strive to get every rider to their destination safely, and in doing so we maintain and operate the railroad in accordance with the safety regulations issued by the Federal Railroad Administration.
Designated pedestrian crossings at station platforms are ADA-accessible with tactile warning strips. The South Shore Line reminds all pedestrians and drivers to always look in both directions before crossing railroad tracks, and that one should never cross railroad tracks without looking in both directions. You should always expect a train on any track, at any time, in any direction.