Truck driver ticketed in Barrington train crash

Barrington police have issued three citations to the truck driver blamed for a May 23 crash with a freight train at the Canadian National Railway crossing of Route 14 that injured two and delayed traffic for hours.

Alfred Atchison, 62, of Delano, Calif., was ticketed for blocking a railroad crossing, disobeying a signal indicating the approach of a train and following too closely. He must appear at the Cook County courthouse in Rolling Meadows on July 3.

Police said Atchison was driving west on Route 14 during rush -hour traffic at 6 p.m. May 23 when his semitrailer truck failed to clear the CN tracks before a southbound train struck its rear.

The truck was sent spinning parallel to the tracks — across the entire width of Route 14 — causing a chain-reaction collision with four other westbound vehicles.

There were no major injuries, but one motorist and one responding police officer had to be transported to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital for minor injuries.

Barrington officials argue that the collision justifies their campaign for a road underpass or overpass at the railroad crossing, regardless of who was at fault in the crash.

Had the truck’s cargo consisted of volatile materials or the train derailed, the outcome of the collision could easily have been more tragic than the five-hour traffic delays that ensued, Village Manager Jeff Lawler said.