Two killed in separate train accidents

A pair of deadly train accidents caused significant delays for commuters Thursday.

Two people were killed in separate incidents involving Metra and Amtrak.

One person was killed when a westbound Metra train struck a vehicle at a level crossing in Bensenville about 5:30 p.m.

Bensenville Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Don Tessler said the Milwaukee District West Line express train on its way from Union Station to Elgin hit a vehicle at the York Road crossing as it approached the Bensenville station. A male occupant of the vehicle was killed, and a female in the car was taken to a nearby hospital in a stable condition. The vehicle was pushed about 1,000 feet west of the crossing, Tessler said.

Tessler said it is unknown who was driving the vehicle and how it became stranded at the crossing.

A Metra representative could not be reached for comment. No injuries were reported on the train.

Services along the line were halted for about 21/2 hours, Tessler said

In the other deadly incident, an Amtrak train from Chicago to Seattle hit and killed a 49-year-old woman from Grayslake at a crossing in Lake Forest. Lake County Coroner Richard Keller withheld the victim's name pending notification of relatives. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said the person walked into the path of the train.

The train remained on the scene more than two hours after the 5 p.m. incident.