How Metra is working harder to stop suicides on tracks

Interventions to save lives and prevent death by suicide on railway tracks increased substantially in 2023, Metra reports.

Through mid-October, police and train crews trained in crisis management reached 85 people in time to help prevent a tragedy.

That compares to 73 interventions in 2020, 64 in 2021 and 61 in 2022, officials said at the railroad's recent "Breaking the Silence" symposium on trespassing and suicide.

"Those are people we recognized were in distress and needed help," said Hilary Konczal, Metra's chief safety and environmental officer. He called the tally "unbelievable."

As of Oct. 18, there have been 23 cases of suspected, confirmed and attempted suicide cases involving Metra trains, in contrast with 18 in 2020, 19 in 2021, and 25 in 2022.

"Every single one of these is an unspeakable tragedy," said Dr. Tom Nutter, a psychiatrist and chief behavioral health officer for Cook County Health, who spoke at the event.

Nutter dispelled several myths, including that suicide is often elaborately planned. "The vast majority are not well-planned. It can be somewhat impulsive," he said.

Another myth is that there's not much we can do. One of the main things is to get people into treatment, Nutter explained.

Metra started a program for front-line employees on detecting and deterring death by suicide in 2015.

Rescuers include Metra foreman Robert Tellin, who risked his life to pull a man from the Elgin tracks in 2016, and police officer Andrea Clunie and Sgt. Will Wright, who reacted quickly when a man attempted suicide in Blue Island two years ago.

But you don't need special training to help, Nutter said.

Rather, he advises being aware of your fellow travelers. If someone seems really distressed or sad, "it's not wrong to say: 'Sorry you're having a rough day. Is there something I can do to help?'" Nutter said. It's important to listen, offer encouragement and report your concerns to a train crew if warranted.

Konczal noted that "post-COVID mental health issues have increased, and Metra is committed to continuing the dialogue and working with our industry partners and the mental health communities."

The railroad is working with Cook County on a "Deconstructing Mental Health" campaign intended to "destigmatize mental health utilizing real-life stories of people who are willing to speak about their mental health issues and how treatment has helped them live fulfilling, productive and happy lives," he said.

The flip side of the conference involved trespassing.

As of mid-October, Metra has recorded 19 fatal trespassing collisions at stations, grade crossings and along the tracks involving vehicles or pedestrians. That compares to an average of 24 a year from 2020 through 2022.

Most often, trespassers are pedestrians who cross or walk along tracks as a shortcut. But they also include passengers in a rush, joggers, people taking photos, cyclists and individuals with headphones and other devices who are oblivious to their surroundings, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.

Also at the forum was DuPage County Coroner Richard Jorgenson, who explained that his deputies have an important balancing act between getting trains moving and carefully investigating a crash scene.

That can mean unavoidable delays if, for example, a deputy has to walk a mile collecting evidence between where the crash occurred and where the train stopped.

With rail deaths, "we're not going to put suicide down on the death certificate unless we can virtually 100% say that this was a suicide," Jorgenson said.

"It's a very important thing to put on a document. So without question, there's underreporting of suicides."

He added, "Every single death is a homicide until we decide it's not a homicide."

Jorgenson cited the case of Geneva's Shadwick King, convicted of murder in January for strangling his wife and leaving her body on the tracks as a cover-up in 2014.

One more thing

If you see someone in crisis, contact Metra police by phone at (312) 322-2800, text at (312) 313-9015, or use the COPS app. Another resource is the National Suicide Hotline at (800) 273-8255.

Gridlock alert

The Illinois tollway will close the Ogden Avenue ramp to the northbound Tri-State in Hinsdale this week as part of a major reconstruction. Detours will be posted, and the work should wrap up in December.