FELA Lawyer News Blog

WHEATON, IL. – The driver of a 2005 Jeep Liberty SUV collided with a Union Pacific train on Tuesday, March 13, and was taken to the Central DuPage Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries.

The accident occurred at about 11:50 a.m. Tuesday morning at the Hill Avenue crossing just east of Wheaton’s College Avenue station where the damaged SUV laid on its side after the crash.

Wheaton police said that the driver of the 2005 Jeep Liberty SUV was a 52-year-old man who drove around the activated railroad crossing signal.

Witnesses told the media that the SUV was traveling east on College and appeared to be speeding when it went around the gates. The collision caused the SUV to be pushed off the tracks and onto its side.

The Daily Herald reports:

Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said the driver sustained “minor abrasions.” There were no injuries to crew members on the freight train.

All railroad traffic was stopped for about 90 minutes after the crash. By 1:30 p.m., Metra trains were going through the College Avenue station, albeit at delays of up to 80 minutes from scheduled timetables.

The 68-car freight train was headed to North Platte, Neb., from Union Pacific’s Proviso yard in Northlake. It was stopped in West Chicago for the evening rush hour.

The incident remains under investigation.

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FELA Lawyer News Blog is a FELA, train accident and personal injury blog that publishes up to date train accidents and FELA legal news from across the United States. The Federal Employers ‘Liability Act, (FELA) allows injured railroad workers to recover compensation based on the negligence of the railroad company, in lieu of workers’ compensation. FELA defines negligence as the railroad company’s failure to use reasonable care

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