By Townhall Chicago News Staff
An Amtrak train struck a vehicle at a railroad crossing near Wolf Road in Western Springs on Wednesday, killing two Pleasantdale School District 107 students, according to initial reports of the crash.
A third person was hospitalized in serious to critical condition. The deaths mark one of the area’s deadliest grade-crossing incidents in recent memory.
A witness at the scene described a car engulfed in flames after the collision. “I saw the car on fire. A couple of our members came out and helped one of the people right away,” the witness said. “They were real heroes.”
The witness was not identified by name in available reports, and the organization referenced was not specified.
The identities and ages of the victims had not been released. Details on the driver and whether the vehicle was stopped on the tracks were also not available.
It was not immediately clear whether crossing gates or warning lights were functioning at the time of the crash. The exact timing of the collision, described only as occurring the previous morning, was not specified.
Pleasantdale School District 107 serves communities in the southwest suburbs. The district had not issued a statement on the crash as of Thursday morning.
Amtrak operates passenger rail service through the area on tracks shared with freight and commuter lines. No information on the specific Amtrak route or train number was available.
The crash remained under investigation. Additional details on the cause, the crossing’s safety history and the condition of the surviving victim were expected as authorities review the incident.
