Metra Delay? Quick Thinking Police and Metra Engineer Prevent Train Crash with Taxi

Taxi shown towed in reverse at the beginning of video at Dunton Avenue and the Union Pacific railroad tracks.

Arlington Heights police responded just before 6:00 p.m. to a report of a taxi stuck on the railroad tracks at Dunton Avenue. With a train approaching, police told 9-1-1 telecommunications operators to call the Metra/Union Pacific communications center to halt the train. Other trains behind the front train were also stopped.

Concerned police weren’t sure if the train communications reached the train engineer in time, and dropped flares to signal the train engineer. The train stopped on the east side of Dunton Avenue about 20 feet from the taxi, which was stuck on the west side of Dunton Avenue.

No injuries were reported, but several trains were delayed.

Hillside Towing was on the scene within minutes and pulled the taxi off of the tracks and out of the snow. Hillside’s quick action minimized the delay, but railroad workers still had to inspect the track before trains could proceed.

FLASHBACK to similar situation in Hinsdale in 2008 …