Freight train hits semi in Grayslake

A semitrailer truck driver was injured Wednesday afternoon after he drove in front of a freight train in Grayslake, authorities said.

Grayslake Fire Department Battalion Chief Jon Cokefair said the driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. No other injuries were reported.

Cokefair said rescue personnel were summoned to the intersection of routes 83 and 137 at 1:23 p.m. He said the freight train "T-boned" the middle of the semi's empty trailer when the driver crossed the railroad tracks when turning south on Route 83.

After impact, said Cokefair, the trailer went about 100 yards west into a storage area at Liberty Marine Center and the northbound freight train halted just ahead at Route 120 in Grayslake. He said the truck's cab wound up in a grassy area of the business.

Cokefair said the driver was out of the cab and lying on the ground when authorities arrived.

"The driver was very lucky," Cokefair said. "It could have been worse."