Investigation continues into teen's electrocution at Metra yard

Authorities on Monday identified the 13-year-old boy who was electrocuted after climbing on top of a Metra train car Sunday evening in the South suburbs.

The Chicago teenager, Marcellus Martin, was among a group of about five kids who entered an unfenced Metra rail yard along Governor's Highway in University Park Township about 7 p.m.

The teen was pronounced dead by officials from the Will County coroner's office at 8:50 p.m. The office conducted an autopsy Monday and confirmed the boy was electrocuted.

Metra police are handling the investigation.

The car that the boy climbed onto is powered by electricity and has a pantograph on top. A pantograph is an electric arm that extends to a wire on the tracks.

Most of Metra's rail yards aren't fenced, Metra spokesman Michael Gillis said. The agency has numerous yards including locations in Harvard, Elburn and Elgin.

“It's a very rural area, there's not a lot of development around it,” Gillis said of the University Park yard.

When asked if Metra would review its policies on fencing, he said Monday the agency was focusing on the investigation.

Metra Electric trains were stopped for about three hours between Matteson and University Park Sunday night while authorities worked at the accident scene.