2 adults, 1 child killed when train hits vehicle in Chicago

CHICAGO (AP) - Two adults and a child were killed when Metra train struck their vehicle Sunday in Chicago, officials said.

A train heading north into the city struck a vehicle just after 5 p.m. on the city's Far South Side and pushed it a half-mile before coming to a complete stop, Chicago fire officials told the Chicago Sun-Times.

The force of the impact caused the train's front car to partially derail and the vehicle caught fire, according to Metra spokeswoman Meg Reile.

Two adults and one child riding in the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene, according to fire officials. A 43-year-old man, also in the vehicle, was transported to a hospital in good to fair condition.

The train's conductor and engineer also reported injuries, though they were believed to be non-life threatening, Reile said. She said 41 passengers aboard the train declined medical attention and were transported to a different station so they could continue their way into the city.

It was not immediately known how fast the train was traveling at the time of the collision, though Reile said the speed limit for trains in that area is 79 mph.

'œOur understanding at this point in time that everything was functioning as intended,'ť Reile said. 'œHowever, we will be doing - and this is normal operating procedure anytime there's an incident involving a train whether it's a fatality or not - we take downloads and check the equipment to make sure it was functioning at the time properly. But we have no information at this time to indicate that our signals and gates were not working.'ť

No further information was immediately available. An investigation by Metra officials is ongoing.