Narrow escape for driver in freight train crash

A man was able to get out of his car stalled on train tracks Monday morning in Des Plaines before the vehicle was struck by a freight train, authorities said.

Des Plaines Fire Chief Alan Wax said emergency crews were dispatched to the Union Pacific tracks at Mount Prospect Road, north of Touhy Avenue, at 4:33 a.m. in response to the collision. The southbound freight train pushed the car about 100 feet southwest of the crossing and into a ditch.

The driver was evaluated by paramedics on the scene and refused treatment, Wax said.

Police Sgt. Dan Niemann said the driver either lost control of his vehicle or had a mechanical issue that forced him to stop on the tracks. The train was able to slow down enough to prevent major damage to the vehicle or the track.

The roadway was reopened at about 7:45 a.m.

• Daily Herald staff writer Christopher Placek contributed to this report.