Dozens Injured in CTA Train Crash, NTSB Investigation Underway
CHICAGO (WLS) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is continuing their investigation into what led to a CTA train crash that left dozens of people injured on Thursday morning. The crash occurred on the Yellow Line near the Howard Station as the train collided with a snowplow on the tracks.
As a result of the crash, train service on the Yellow Line remains suspended on Friday morning, with shuttle bus service available between Howard and Skokie/Dempster.
Witnesses reported feeling a vibration, hearing a screech, and then feeling the impact of the crash as the train slammed into the snowplow. The collision caused the front end of the train to be crushed, knocking both passengers and transit employees off their feet.
“People started screaming, the kids yelling,” witness Shayla Smith said. “I feel like we got hit too because how the impact was, it was so close.”
Another witness, Katya Bonilla, described the scene as “scary” and expressed shock at the damage to the train. “You think of trains as being so solid and sturdy and it was just completely caved in and seeing all the people lined up all the fire crews carrying people away from the scene for like 20-30 minutes,” Bonilla said.
The Chicago Fire Department reported that 38 people were injured in the crash. One badly injured passenger has already filed a lawsuit against the CTA.
Investigations are underway to determine why the winter equipment was on the tracks on a 60-degree day and how the train ultimately crashed into it. The NTSB will be looking into all factors that may have contributed to the incident.
The CTA has yet to comment on the ongoing investigation but has promised to cooperate fully with authorities as they work to determine the cause of the crash.