Metra Train Hits Car Monday in Arlington Heights

A driver is lucky to be alive after his car was hit by a Metra train late Monday afternoon at the Northwest Highway railroad crossing near Arthur/Davis in Arlington Heights. 

According to Arlington Heights Police Sargeant Jerry Lehnert, at around 3:15 p.m., the train was heading westbound toward Palatine when it stuck the front bumper of the car.

The  driver, has not been identified by police, was parked so close to the crossing that the gates had actually come down on the roof of the vehicle at the time of the incident. 

According to Lehnert, the train was travelling westbound on the southernmost set of tracks at roughly 55 m.p.h, and struck the vehicle on the south side of the crossing.

Traffic in the area was backed up and rerouted for close to an hour as the train came to a halt and the accident scene was cleared by police and firefighters, Lehnert said. 

No tickets have yet been issued, and the driver walked away uninjured.  

According to the Arlington Cardinal, Metra trains were running 40-50 minutes behind immediately after the incident.