spb10059
09-19-2002, 12:11
Cop killed by train on West Side
September 19, 2002
BY ANA MENDIETA STAFF REPORTER
A Chicago police officer was killed Wednesday night when he was dragged under a Metra commuter train while conducting surveillance on the West Side.
The officer and his partner, both in uniform, were standing on a train overpass on Spaulding just north of Cermak, watching possible drug activity, when a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway train bound for Aurora approached about 6:40 p.m., police spokesman David Bayless said.
Bayless explained what happened: "One officer steps to the side and warns his partner. They're clear of the tracks. And as the train speeds through the overpass, somehow one officer is struck by the train."
"He was not struck by the engine," Bayless added. "Somehow he was caught underneath the train." He was pronounced dead on the scene. A witness saw the other officer clinging to a fence.
Officials said the train was traveling from 30 to 60 mph. "The train stopped two blocks from the scene," Bayless said. It had left Union Station at 6:20 p.m.
The officer who was killed was not identified. He had been on the force for four to six years and was in his early 30s, police said.
"It's about as gut-wrenching as it gets," police spokesman Pat Camden said. "One of our brother officers taken from us in a matter of minutes."
Police said the officers had parked their squad car near the overpass and climbed a steep embankment to stand on a small concrete platform on the north side of the track.
All four tracks in the area were shut down and more than a thousand commuters were delayed for more than an hour. One track was opened about 7:40 p.m., and passengers were transferred to other trains.
Copyright © The Sun-Times Company
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
September 19, 2002
BY ANA MENDIETA STAFF REPORTER
A Chicago police officer was killed Wednesday night when he was dragged under a Metra commuter train while conducting surveillance on the West Side.
The officer and his partner, both in uniform, were standing on a train overpass on Spaulding just north of Cermak, watching possible drug activity, when a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway train bound for Aurora approached about 6:40 p.m., police spokesman David Bayless said.
Bayless explained what happened: "One officer steps to the side and warns his partner. They're clear of the tracks. And as the train speeds through the overpass, somehow one officer is struck by the train."
"He was not struck by the engine," Bayless added. "Somehow he was caught underneath the train." He was pronounced dead on the scene. A witness saw the other officer clinging to a fence.
Officials said the train was traveling from 30 to 60 mph. "The train stopped two blocks from the scene," Bayless said. It had left Union Station at 6:20 p.m.
The officer who was killed was not identified. He had been on the force for four to six years and was in his early 30s, police said.
"It's about as gut-wrenching as it gets," police spokesman Pat Camden said. "One of our brother officers taken from us in a matter of minutes."
Police said the officers had parked their squad car near the overpass and climbed a steep embankment to stand on a small concrete platform on the north side of the track.
All four tracks in the area were shut down and more than a thousand commuters were delayed for more than an hour. One track was opened about 7:40 p.m., and passengers were transferred to other trains.
Copyright © The Sun-Times Company
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.