Des Plaines train fatal ruled accident

A Des Plaines resident who was walking his dog Monday night was struck and killed by a train, police said.

Peter Walczak, 52, of the 300 block of Hawthorne Circle, was killed along with his Rottweiler at about 6:45 p.m., police said.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office said Walczak's death was an accident. Since there were no witnesses, police aren't exactly sure how he and his dog came to be struck by the train, said Deputy Chief Rich Rozkuszka.

Walczak was hit near the intersection of Graceland Avenue and Miner Street. He was not wearing head phones or any other device that might prevent him from hearing the train coming, police said. The dog, found a few feet from Walczak, was wearing a collar and leash, police said.

Officials believe Walczak was hit by an outbound train as it was leaving the Des Plaines station. An engineer on a later train reported seeing a body on the tracks.

The official cause of death is listed as multiple injuries, including blunt trauma.