A BNSF passenger died in a “devastating” collision with a crash in Clarendon Hills, according to Metra – Chicago Tribune

A Metra spokeswoman said a woman traveling on a BNSF train was killed Wednesday morning when a train and a semi-truck crashed.

The accident was the second in the history of the transit agency, in which a passenger died.

The woman’s identity and age were not released immediately, and the DuPage County Coroner’s Office was called to the scene, Metra spokeswoman Meg Thomas Rail said.

A BNSF 1242 train, departing from Downers Grove, collided with a semi-truck around 8:10 a.m. on Prospect Avenue, killing a woman and injuring four others, including two passengers who were injured who were not considered life-threatening.

The conductor and engineer also received non-life-threatening injuries, Thomas Rail said.

Train 1242 was not running on the usual schedule and at that time was traveling express to Union station due to a mechanical malfunction that resulted in another train being involved.

“It expressed … it didn’t stop at Clarendon Hills,” Thomas Rail said. “They’ve been sorting through some services that I’m sure to catch up and get back to normal.”

There were probably about 60 or fewer passengers on board, or about 10 per car, judging by reports of mileage earlier this week at the same time.

“It’s devastating for all participants,” Thomas Rail said, adding that the only other time in Metra’s history killed a passenger was in 2005.

On September 17, 2005, at about 8:35 a.m., a Rock Island commuter train derailed at 10 miles per hour at 69 miles per hour, Thomas Rail said, adding that two passengers were killed and another 46 were injured. injuries but were released in the same way. day.

A spokeswoman for the DuPage County Coroner’s Office said they did not have additional information immediately.

The NTSB took over the investigation on Wednesday afternoon, and a notice of service on the Metra website said the BNSF line would be suspended until further notice. Customers may consider using the Union Pacific West line as an alternative.

Typically, the BNSF line delivers nearly 3,000 passengers downtown on weekdays.

Check the details again.

rsobol@chicagotribune.com