Car crash with Metra passenger train at US-14 and Ridge Avenue/Walnut Avenue in Arlington Heights.
Police and firefighter/paramedics from Arlington Heights responded about 2:10 p.m Thursday, November 12, 2020 to a report that a car crashed with a Metra train on the Union Pacific Northwest Line near Northwest Highway and Ridge/Walnut Avenue.
The car was hit by an eastbound Metra passenger train near Euclid Avenue and was dragged to Ridge Avenue/Walnut Avenue. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Metra police were dispatched to the scene, and were managing the investigation of the crash with the assistance of the Arlington Heights Police Department. All police cleared the on-scene investigation by about 6:00 p.m.
The driver of a silver Mercedes sedan was crossing the railroad tracks westbound on Euclid Avenue when the train hit the vehicle. The driver, who was alone in the vehicle, was identified as Leonard Jennings Hauskey, age 86.
Metra passenger Michael Turnbro was in one train car, and sisters Maddison and MacKenzie Miller were in another train car when the crash occurred. They all described hearing long horn blasts and lurching forward when the car was hit. Turnbro said he didn’t hear the crash, but felt it. He said the conductor announced that the train hit a car immediately after the crash. About 40 passengers were onboard Metra Train #6444, and disembarked near Northwest Highway and Ridge Avenue.
Metra passenger interviews after train and car crash just before the first train resumes service while going past the crash scene.
Metra sent out their first Tweet at 2:24 p.m., announcing on Twitter that Metra Train #6444, scheduled to arrive at Ogilvie Transportation Center at 3:00 PM was stopped near Arlington Heights because the train struck a vehicle.
Northwest Highway (US-14) was closed in both directions between Euclid Avenue and Chestnut Avenue, but one lane was open in each direction later in the afternoon.
DEVELOPING IF CONTENT IS AVAILABLE …
An Arlington Heights Metra train crash left Leonard Jenning Shauskey, 86, dead at the intersection of Northwest Highway and Euclid Avenue Thursday. https://t.co/KxnezOKH4e
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) November 13, 2020
Stay informed with news from The Cardinal’s Emergencies Behind the Scenes Facebook page — Facebook.com/CardinalEmergencies. Includes links to favorite public safety and emergency rescuers and product manufacturers and safety companies that have facebook pages. Submit your pictures or just stay up-to-date on with fire, rescue, EMS and police photo galleries. Please add your public safety photo to the wall album — go direct to the Arlington Cardinal Emergencies Behind the Scenes photos. For a list of all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages, go to Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …
Help fund The Cardinal Arlingtoncardinal.com/sponsor
