Rail Crossing, Traffic Pose Danger To Cars Getting Trapped On Tracks Near Midway Airport
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A freight train smashed into a vehicle near Midway Airport on Wednesday, and the driver tells CBS 2 that traffic trapped him on the tracks.
CBS 2's Steven Graves went digging for answers about safety concerns.
Malik Makkawi said the collision with a freight train was like something out of a movie.
"You're looking. Next thing you know, you hear the crash and you know what happened," he said.
Makkawi said he tried to move out of the way, but he couldn't move forward because the light at Archer and Central was red. The early morning traffic was at a standstill with the gate behind and the one on the opposite side in front of him closed.
"I had to sit there and wait. We couldn't do anything."
Police ticketed Makkawi for stopping on the tracks. CBS 2 cameras spotted numerous cars stuck sitting there, too. This type of traffic and train trouble is exactly what P.S. Sriraj at University of Illinois Chicago studies.
"The city has to work with the railroad in making compatible signals," said Sriraj, the director of the Urban Transportation Center
CBS 2 didn't find any past accidents here, but we showed Sriraj the intersection and told him about the traffic.
"As currently constructed, the guidelines from the feds are mainly addressing pockets that are unable to hold enough vehicles," said Sriraj said.
Right now, there is a sign that urges drivers to stay out the train's path. Sriraj says more could be done.
"There has to be some engineering solutions in terms of tweaking the traffic signals, putting pre-signals if needed and doing a diagnostic review."
Belt Railway Company of Chicago owns the tracks. A spokesperson says their safety measures worked, but they are willing to discuss more options with the city.