Dozens of injured after CTA train collides with snow removal vehicle
A total of 38 people were injured on Thursday in the wake of a Yellow Line train crashing into a piece of snow removal equipment on the tracks in the Howard rail yard in Rogers Park. Twenty-three of those hurt were transported to area hospitals, while the rest suffered minor injuries.
The incident occurred just after 10:30 a.m. when a two-car Yellow Line-Skokie Swift train struck the snow fighter machine as it was headed inbound from Skokie. There were a total of 31 passengers and seven CTA employees on board at the time of the collision, all of whom sustained injuries.
First responders immediately arrived on the scene and were met with difficulty in accessing the injured due to the train’s location in the rail yard. Ambulances rushed to the scene to transport the injured, with three people taken to the hospital in serious-to-critical condition, nine in fair-to-serious condition, and 11 in good condition.
According to the Chicago Fire Department, none of the injuries were life-threatening. The victims ranged in age from about 2 to 72 years old, including several young children. Additionally, one person operating the snow fighter machine was seriously hurt in the collision.
Efforts to remove passengers from the train were complicated by the terrain, as first responders had to navigate access gates, tracks, and embankments before safely evacuating all of the victims. Multiple people were carried away on stretchers in the wake of the collision.
The crash has raised numerous questions about safety protocols, including why the snow removal equipment was on the same track as the train at the time of the incident. The NTSB has launched an investigation into the accident.
Service on the Yellow and Purple lines was suspended following the crash, while Red Line service was interrupted between Howard and Thorndale. The train involved in the collision and the snow fighter machine remained at the scene as of late Thursday, and the Yellow Line remained closed.