NTSB says driver killed in Elgin crash had little warning of oncoming locomotive

The driver killed in a crash last month at a railroad crossing in Elgin had little advance notice of an oncoming freight train engine, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board.

One person died and two others were injured on Oct. 23 when a Union Pacific locomotive collided with a landscaping truck at the State Street crossing north of Locust Street at about 6:30 a.m. Authorities said the freight train engine was not hauling any cars at the time.

According to the NTSB report, a review of the locomotive’s event and image recorders showed traffic traversing the crossing in the seconds before the collision.

It wasn’t until the train was near the edge of the crossing that its whistle sounded for the first time and the crossing’s warning devices activated, according to the report.

The truck entered the crossing from the locomotive’s right immediately before the collision and was struck while in motion. The train engineer applied the brakes shortly after impact and brought the train to a stop north of the crossing.

The locomotive was traveling approximately 27 mph as it approached the crossing, which was under a 30-mph permanent speed restriction.

The Ford F-250 pickup truck and the trailer it pulled were owned by Cornerstone Partners, a landscaping company that serves Elgin and multiple Western suburbs.

Along with reviewing the event and image recorders, NTSB investigators examined the locomotive and crossing, tested the grade crossing’s warning device, collected samples of foreign material near the scene, conducted reenactments of the train’s movement, conducted interviews and reviewed relevant UP rules and procedures.

The report states that the ongoing investigation will focus on UP rules, policies, and training, as well as the performance of the train detection technology used by the grade-crossing warning system.