One dead, two injured as train engine collides with landscaping truck in Elgin
One person is dead and two others were injured Thursday morning when a Union Pacific freight train engine collided with a landscaping truck at the State Street crossing in Elgin.
State Street in Elgin was closed between Chicago and National streets for several hours.
A Union Pacific spokesperson said the crash happened at about 6:30 a.m. when the train engine collided with a pickup truck at the rail crossing north of Locust Street.
Elgin police said the person killed was a passenger in the truck. The driver and another passenger were transported to a hospital. They did not release any details about the extent of injuries or their medical conditions.
Cornerstone Partners, a landscaping company that serves Elgin and multiple Western suburbs, confirmed the death of one of its employees and said two others were currently receiving medical care.
“We are profoundly saddened and heartbroken by the tragedy that occurred today involving our crew,” the company said in an emailed statement. “The entire Cornerstone Partners family is trying to process this horrific incident. At this moment, our absolute focus is on supporting the families and employees impacted by providing all necessary resources.”
Union Pacific officials said the train crew was not injured.
Authorities said it was only a freight train engine on the tracks at the time, and it was not hauling any cars.
Temporary stop signs will be used at the railroad crossing until the conclusion of the investigation, including Union Pacific completing appropriate inspections, authorities said.
Union Pacific is also implementing precautionary safety measures that will include a “stop and protect protocol,” which involves a train conductor who will visually verify that all traffic is stopped before the train proceeds. Train traffic is scheduled seven days a week, from 5 to 7 a.m. and from 9 to 10 p.m., police said.
The crash remains under investigation by Elgin police. Anyone with information about the crash is urged to contact police at (847) 289-2660.