HANCOCK COUNTY, IL- Wgem.com reports that one person was killed in a train accident on Saturday, May 19, 2018. The incident occurred at about 2:51 a.m. in Pontoosuc, Illinois. The victim was a pedestrian. No additional information has been released about the identity of the person killed.
In 2016, 41 people were killed in accidents involving trains in Illinois. The number is lower than it was ten years ago, but Illinois still has more train-related fatalities than most states. Illinois is one of the 15 states that see the most people killed in train accidents.
The United States Department of Transportation has initiated a campaign to increase public awareness of the dangers of railroad crossings. The campaign is focusing on those drivers most likely to be involved in train-related accidents, which are men between the ages of 18 and 49.
While men are the drivers involved in about 75% of train and car accidents, when pedestrians are hit by trains, it is often the result of suicides. In 2015, 25 pedestrians were struck and killed by trains in Illinois. Of those 25, 19 are thought to have been suicides. The trend continued in 2016 where two-thirds of the pedestrians killed were thought to have committed suicide.
The Metra CEO, Don Orseno, has suggested that the public should be stepping in and reporting odd behavior near train tracks.
In response to the high number of suicides, which are more common in the Chicago-area than there are nationally, Metra started a program to train 1000 of their employees to learn the warning signs that a person is potentially suicidal. Employees learn a way to react and respond when they identify a potential issue. Some people argue more could be done, and that Chicago could institute a 24/7 hotline as other major cities, including New York and Boston have done.
Call us at 312.422.0500 and schedule an appointment with our experienced accident attorneys in Chicago, Illinois today. The free consultation is completely confidential and we will discuss your options and formulate a plan to help you obtain the compensation that you deserve.
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