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United States/Chicago: In a sudden turn of events, a Yellow Line train of the Chicago Rapid Transit (CRT) system collided with snow removal equipment on Thursday morning, injuring nearly 40 people, some of them are severely injured. The Chicago Fire Department said the Chicago Transit Authority train crashed into snow-removal equipment just before 10.35 am on the city’s North Side near the Howard CTA station.
A two-car Yellow Line-Skokie rapid train was coming from Skokie when it struck snow removal equipment. The fire department said there were 31 passengers and seven CTA employees onboard on the train at the time of the accident. They were all injured and more than 15 ambulances were called to the scene to treat the injured, said Robert Jurewicz, the Chicago Fire Department’s second district chief.
Mayor Brandon Johnson worried for all those affected and praised the first responders at the scene. “Our thoughts are with all those affected and we are grateful to our brave first responders at the scene,” he said in a statement. “We are working closely with emergency services as we continue to monitor this incident.”
Women and children are also among the injured
The collision was so severe that Thirty-eight people, including four children, were injured. Twenty-three were rushed to area hospitals and three of those injured were in critical condition, although no one suffered life-threatening injuries, said Keith Gray, assistant deputy chief paramedic.
The train’s operator was among the most seriously hurt, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The children suffered bumps and bruises, the newspaper reported.
He said the 15 others who were on the train diminished medical treatment at the scene. The National Transportation Safety Board tweeted that it was sending a team to investigate the incident.
NTSB is launching a team to investigate the collision of a CTA train and rail equipment in Chicago. Spokesperson on scene will be NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) November 16, 2023
The rescue operation was challenging due to the accident site. Many passengers had to be carried on stretchers. “I will tell you, it was a very difficult job for the firefighters to do, because they had to go up and down these embankments – carry people over the rocks,” Jurewicz said.
Dr. David Trotter, chief of emergency management at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, said three patients were taken to that hospital. Two of the accident victims were in fair condition, one in serious condition. Some patients were also taken to Ascension St. Francis Hospital in Evanston near the scene of the accident.
In conclusion, the train collision has resulted in a major rescue operation and medical response. As the investigation into the cause of the accident continues, the focus is on the recovery of the injured passengers and crew.
