Mount Prospect/Des Plaines train accident 5-13-11

The lead car of the commuter train jumped the tracks and listed heavily. Tim Olk photo

A major incident unfolded this morning when a Metra train collided with a dump truck at the Mt. Prospect Road crossing on Northwest Highway. The crash occurred in Mount Prospect, but the resulting partial derailment and fire took place about a quarter-mile further down the line in Des Plaines. Fire departments from both towns quickly arrived on the scene and established a unified command to manage the emergency response. The truck driver was killed instantly at the intersection, while multiple train passengers were taken to local hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to serious. No critical conditions were reported among the train riders, though the train engineer was in critical condition. As more injured passengers arrived, the EMS alert was escalated from a Box Alarm to a 5th Alarm. A PACE bus was also dispatched to assist in transporting patients who had been triaged as â€œgreenâ€ â€” indicating non-urgent cases. Ambulances from Divisions 1, 3, and 20 were on hand to support the effort.
Fuel which splashed along the exterior of the train ignited along the first two cars. Tim Olk photo
According to the Chicago Tribune, all train cars remained upright, but 29 passengers were taken to hospitals, with 10 treated on-site. Officials confirmed that no injuries aboard the train were life-threatening, except for the engineer. The train, numbered 636, was heading inbound from Harvard when it struck the truck around 8:40 a.m. near the Cumberland station in Mount Prospect. The truck driver, identified as Kazimierz Karasek, 59, from Prospect Heights, had a long history of traffic violations, including a DUI. The vehicle was carrying a load of concrete and was traveling northwest on Northwest Highway before turning left onto Mt. Prospect Road and crossing the tracks. Despite the gates being down and the signals functioning properly, the truck entered the crossing and was hit by the train.
Looking southeast from Mt. Prospect Road shows the derailment of the first car. Tim Olk photo
Union Pacific officials stated that the gates were operating correctly, but they believe the driver may have attempted to go around them due to the diagonal layout of the highway. This is not the first time such an accident has occurred at this location â€” a similar incident involving the same type of truck happened nearly a decade ago. In todayâ€™s collision, the driver allegedly ignored a â€œNo Left Turnâ€ sign, forcing him to cross into the northbound lanes of Mt. Prospect Road to bypass the northern gate. This maneuver placed the truckâ€™s cab directly on the tracks, where it was struck by the train. The trailer and cab folded like a jackknife, with the trailer colliding with the train cars.
Another perspective looking northwest along the tracks shows the entire train as it came to rest after the collision. Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk and Larry Shapiro were on site and captured several powerful images of the aftermath. Their photos show the dramatic impact of the collision, with the train partially derailed and fuel igniting along the first few cars. The truck was completely destroyed, its cab thrown over 50 feet from the wreckage.
A view from the relative point of impact shows the devastation to the dump truck and the scattering of the concrete load it was carrying. Tim Olk photo
Emergency crews worked tirelessly to secure the area and transport injured passengers. Several ambulances were on standby, and medical teams assessed and treated those affected. The fire department worked to contain the blaze, which spread along the trainâ€™s exterior.
An overview of the intersection of Northwest Highway and Mt Prospect Road shows the accident scene. Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro also documented the scene from various angles, capturing the full extent of the damage. His photos show the train resting 1/4 mile down the track, the shattered truck, and the efforts of emergency responders working to stabilize the situation.
The truck's cab was sheared off and thrown roughly 50 feet from the rest of the truck. Larry Shapiro photo

A view of the destroyed truck as scene from the north side of the accident scene. Larry Shapiro photo

The train came to rest 1/4 of a mile further down the tracks. Larry Shapiro photo

Paramedics attend to train passengers assembled on the opposite side of Northwest Highway. Larry Shapiro photo

Damage to the lead car from striking the truck. Larry Shapiro photo

Windows are damaged by the fire but protected the passengers inside. Larry Shapiro photo

Damage to the second car from fuel which ignited outside the train. One of the truck's fuel tanks was lodged beneath the first car of the train. Larry Shapiro photo

A patient is loaded onto a gurney after being immobilized by paramedics for the trip to a hospital. Larry Shapiro photo
Tim has a full gallery online HERE, and Larry has his own collection available HERE. For those interested, you can also listen to the radio traffic from this incident HERE.
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