[flickr]photo:3854713664[/flickr]
A train passes over Lawrence Avenue at the Ravenswood Metra station.
2012 Chicago fatality stats*:
Pedestrian: 6 (5 have been from hit-and-run crashes, the other person was struck by a train)
Pedalcyclist: 0
Transit: 5 (the previous four were from a 30-day period in March-April)
A northbound UP North Metra train struck and killed a person on the platform at the Ravenswood station (4800 N Ravenswood) on Tuesday, May 29. The train was not scheduled to stop there.
The pedestrian was killed in the incident, but officials are not releasing his or her identity Tuesday night, a spokesman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office said. CBS2
If you find more information, please leave a note or link in the comments. The station is being reconstructed.
* 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.
I talked to the Metra conductor this morning. It was a suicide.
People I know had an especially difficult time getting home due to the purple/red/brown lines also being stopped yesterday due to a fire. It was not a fun day to ride public transit!
Thanks for the update.
The fatality tracker will continue to track suicide attempts (mainly because it’s rarely known or confirmed which deaths are/aren’t).
35 year old male that definitely meant to jump in front of the train. He spoke to the Conductor on the previous train and told him “Your train isn’t the one I want, I am waiting to get the next train.” He also placed his phone on the platform and jumped in front of a train that was moving 70 M.P.H.
Jeff, yours is the only information I’ve hear about the sex or age of the pedestrian. Are you a Metra representative? Were you a passenger? I really want to find out what happened but there is no coverage or follow-up after that day.
Out of curiosity any idea what percent of Metra fatalities are suicides?
I think this is the first suicide by Metra train in Chicago in 2012 (and it’s the first non-pedestrian Metra death). Someone committed suicide on the CTA system earlier this year. The first death by Metra train in Chicago this year was a woman walking on the street at a grade crossing near Beverly.
Wrong.
If my information is wrong, help me correct it.
3 Lake Forest students committed suicide on the north shore in the suburbs…..2 on metra UP-N and 1 on metra milwaukee North……
I only track Chicago.
You are right. All male and all within 3 months. Very sad.
Was the fatality a ped or a cyclist? I was a passenger on the train. We were stopped for two hours while the police completed their investigation.
The news report labeled the person a “pedestrian”, but I don’t believe that’s the best description. The person was on a platform, which makes me think the person intended to become a “passenger” on Metra. Another commenter says a conductor told them the person committed suicide.