A female bicyclist was struck and killed by a CN freight train in Grayslake just after 8 p.m. Tuesday near Lake and Hillside, and Metra Police are handling the investigation.
The collision shut down the scene overnight, but there was no impact to Metra commuters because the train involved was not a Metra train. By Wednesday morning, police were seen inspecting the tracks where the bicyclist was hit, and the area had already been cleared and reopened to traffic.
What led to the fatal collision was still not explained Wednesday morning. That left investigators with the basic facts of a deadly crossing and little public answer beyond the route of the train and the fact that it was a CN freight train.
Neighbors said they heard commotion and saw flashing lights at the crossing after the crash. Ron Beckman said he looked out his kitchen window and saw the lights, adding that he figured something had happened. He called it horrible and said there are a lot of questions that need to be answered.
Gabby Miniscalo, who said she takes her dogs out for a walk almost every day, said she saw a lot of flashing lights and believed the ambulance was already there when she looked over, though it seemed to have been going on for a long time. She said the crossing arms usually go down well in advance and that there is still usually a horn even when there is a no-horn sign posted. Beckman said the crossing had gates, bells and other warning devices, and neighbors said they do not believe the train arm or tracks were malfunctioning at the time.
The fatal crash now turns on one unanswered question: how a bicyclist ended up in the path of a freight train at a crossing that residents say appeared to be working normally. Metra Police are expected to keep sorting through that question as the cleared scene and reopened road give way to the investigation.
