Woman drives past crossing gates, hit by train in Itasca

A woman was injured Tuesday when she drove through railroad crossing gates on Walnut Road in Itasca and into the path of an oncoming train, authorities said.

Patricia Vitale, 78, had to be extracted from the wreckage about 7 a.m. Tuesday. Witnesses told police her Honda Accord slid under the downed gate and she tried to reverse, but there wasn't enough time. Her car was hit by a Metra train.

She was traveling very slowly as she approached the gates, Itasca police Sgt. John Matuga said.

Eyewitnesses said the gates lifted slightly when the car hit them, Matuga said, allowing Vitale to roll forward and onto the tracks.

Jim Vitale was on the way to meet his mother at a car repair shop when he found out she'd been in the accident.

"It's amazing anybody could live through that," he told ABC 7. "God was on her side."

Jim Vitale added that his mother, a retired elementary school teacher, is a cautious driver.

"She's crossed those railroad tracks thousands of times over the years," he said. "So something doesn't add up. I can see some explanation that she slid a little bit, but it seems to make more sense that maybe she was bumped."

Police are investigating but have not determined the cause of the crash.

"This time of the year, where roads are icy and so forth, you just have to be careful coming up on any of these kinds of crossings. But we were able to get her out of the vehicle. She was conscious when we got her out," Itasca Fire Chief James Burke told ABC 7.

Patricia Vitale remains hospitalized in ICU with broken ribs, a punctured lung and other internal injuries. She is in fair condition, according to her son.

Metra spokesman Tom Miller said trains on the west line were delayed about an hour because of the accident.