No injuries after semitrailer hit by train
A fast-moving train and a jackknifed semitrailer on the tracks presented a surreal scene Friday for Waukegan resident Brian Ambrose who recorded the ensuing crash on his phone.
No injuries were reported as a result of the spectacular collision on Route 173 east of Route 41 just after 12:30 p.m. But the short, shaky cellphone video went viral with 491,000 views and climbing as of early Saturday afternoon.
"It was like a movie," said Ambrose, 20, of the sequence of events. His car had broken down so Ambrose was getting a ride to work at Bob Rohrman Kenosha Nissan from his brother, Dylan.
They missed the turn to go north on Kilbourne Road and were headed west behind a semitrailer en route to Route 41 when a car in front of the truck slammed on its brakes.
A preliminary investigation shows the vehicle in front of the semi stopped quickly as the lights began to flash at the railroad crossing, according to Sgt. Christopher Covelli of the Lake County sheriff's office, which is investigating the crash.
The driver of the semi was unable to stop and took an evasive maneuver to avoid striking the stopped car, he said. That caused the semi to jackknife onto the railroad tracks where it was struck by a northbound freight train. The truck driver escaped and no injuries were reported on the train or semi, Covelli said.
Ambrose said the truck was nearly through the crossing when it jackknifed.
"He just bailed out the passenger side as quick as he could," Ambrose said of the truck driver. And then the brothers braced themselves.
"It was happening at that second. We had to back up because I was afraid debris would by flying at us," Ambrose said. That's also when Ambrose took out his phone and got the ensuing crash on video through the windshield of his brother's car.
"A snap decision - just film it," he said Saturday. "You see stuff like this on the internet all the time."
The sound and impact was unforgettable, he said.
"We could feel it on our chests. That's how hard it hit," Ambrose said. "It took the train about 30 seconds to stop. It was cookin'."
Route 173 was closed for several hours as crews repaired damage to the railroad crossing and it reopened about 8 p.m. Further detail was not available and the investigation continues, Covelli said Saturday.
"I was definitely shaken up," said Ambrose. He said a woman in a vehicle behind them was on her way to a religious retreat and led them in a prayer after the crash.
"She blessed my brother's car with holy water," he said.
Later, Ambrose said he posted the video on Facebook, where it received 30,000 views in two hours. That's when the local TV stations began calling to use the footage. He eventually sold the video and received a fair price but declined to say how much.