Fatality Tracker: Loyola student dies after falling onto tracks and touching third rail

[flickr]photo:6218377367[/flickr]

Photo of the Loyola Red Line station by Brandon Bartoszek. 

2012 Chicago fatality stats*:

Pedestrian: 19 (9 have been hit-and-run crashes)
Pedalcyclist: 4 (1 is a hit-and-run crash)
Transit: 7

A 21-year-old student named John Versnel at Loyola University died last night after exiting a train at the Chicago Transit Authority’s Loyola Red Line station, “bumping” into a pillar, falling into the tracks, and touching the third rail. This happened minutes before he was pronounced dead at an Evanston hospital at 1:29 AM.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

Versnel was not hit by a train, CTA spokesman Brian Steele said. Versnel was a Loyola University senior, according to a statement from the school. The school has informed students of the counseling services available to them, as well.

According to Tracy Swartz there have been ten deaths on the CTA this year, meaning the Fatality Tracker has missed some tragic incidents.

* The information is only accurate as of this post’s publishing time and includes only people who died in the Chicago city limits. View previous Fatality Tracker posts.