Man Killed By Metra Train In Palatine

UPDATED 12:29 P.M.

A man was killed Tuesday, Dec. 27 when a Metra train hit the vehicle he was driving.

Michael Levgard, 64, of Palatine was was headed north on Brockway Street at about 7:34 a.m. when his 1999 Mercury Sable was hit by an inbound Metra train. The vehicle was pushed along the tracks and came to rest at Palatine Road. The car was pushed about 1,000 feet.

Palatine Police are investigating the cause of the crash.

The Palatine Fire Department said that firefighters quickly realized that Levgard had not survived the crash. It took about 25 minutes extricating him from the vehicle.

Palatine fire officials said the Metra train involved in the crash sustained minor damage to the front car which required some maintenance before the train could be moved.

One passenger on the train required minor medical assistance. The passenger was treated at the scene by paramedics. The vehicle was removed from the tracks at 10:30 a.m.

The Chicago Tribune reported that the train was an express train and was traveling between 50 mph and 75 mph. The newspaper also identified the train as 622 and that it had left McHenry at 6:53 a.m.

A witness told the Tribune that the gates were down at the time of the crash and that a second train was stopped at the Palatine station when the express train came through.