Mayor: Nearly 50 people taken to hospitals after CTA trains collide

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Chicago Tribune.

Nearly 50 people were taken to hospitals after a CTA train ran head-on into another train that was stopped at a Blue Line station in Forest Park this morning, officials said.

Forest Park Mayor Anthony Calderone said 48 people were taken to 10 hospitals. None of the injuries was considered serious, he said.

The accident happened around 8 a.m. when an outbound train stopped at the Harlem station was hit by an out-of-service train going the opposite direction on the same track, according to CTA spokeswoman Lambrini Lukidis.


Officials are investigating why the out-of-service train was on the track, she said.

She did not know how many people were on the other train when it was hit. There were no passengers on the out-of-service train, and Lukidis did not know how many workers were on it.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-two-cta-trains-crash-on-blue-line-in-forest-park-20130930,0,1375440.story

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. I live in the town where this is happening (can hear the helicopters right now).

One theory is that the train was hijacked from the train yard just to the west because it was heading east on the westbound track. Local NBC affiliate is reporting 33 injuries, nine transported to several area hospitals -- the closest is just four blocks away. Most are neck and back injuries. Many people just walked off the train and dispersed, likely to find alternate means of transportation.

[msanthrope]

2. A train hijack? Or maybe just a runaway? nt

[greatauntoftriplets]

5. It could be either, they're just investigating now.

The train going in the wrong direction had no passengers and this was at the height of the morning rush.

[kurosagi]

3. It's a good thing that the operating train was stopped.

Those things can move pretty fast and two trains crashing into each other at full speed would have been a much worse disaster.

[Sunlei]

4. wow, good thing both trains weren't moving & some noticed the 'out of service train'