Pedestrian versus Train. @ Rogers Park Metra Stop. Updated.

Touhy Avenue Metra Bridge

 Near Rogers Park Metra Station

Fatality 12/12/12

"Union Pacific North Train No. 337, scheduled to arrive in Highland Park at 5:10 p.m., was stopped after striking a pedestrian about 4:45 p.m. “at or near the Rogers Park station,” Metra spokesman Mike Gillis said."

"All inbound and outbound Metra Union Pacific/North line trains were stopped for nearly two hours during the evening rush today after a train fatally struck a pedestrian near the Rogers Park station, Metra officials said."

"The train was not scheduled to stop in Rogers Park.The train began to move again just after 6:20 p.m. The pedestrian, who was not immediately identified, was killed, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office."

  

           This train that hit the pedestrian was not scheduled to stop at Rogers Park meaning it was a fast moving train and likely the person was killed on impact. All of the news sources pretty much say the same thing. They also say that the person hasn't been identified yet. Looking at the number of hits on this story the old adage "if it bleeds it leads" is true.

Update #1 - Per MFR @ approx 10 am 12/13/12 on EveryBlock it was a suicide

"Andrew Parker. Long time friend and fellow S&Cer. Envolved (sic) in a brutal divorce battle. I can only guess he couldn't go back to the hateful home situation ever again.Love and miss you Andrew. I hope you are at peace."

Update #2 - Marianne on Everyblock @ approx noon 12/13/12 wrote 

"With tragedies like that, I always think, if you were going to kill yourself anyway, why couldn't you have just done it and leave every body else out of it? " and she wrote " A couple of people hanging there said they were on the sidewalk right below the train stop when it happened. They described the sound they heard, a scream, and then what they heard over the police radio after the cops were on the scene..... These witnesses reported a chilling conversation over the radio describing a very grisly scene on the tracks. To spare you all the stomach-turning details, I will only say there was evidence of the deceased scattered all along the tracks between Greenleaf to almost Touhy. Yuck"

       The suicide victim did mess up rush hour traffic for Metra. It can be critical for people to get where they are going and no one can predict the repercussions that such an incident causes for other people. This could encourage copy-cat suicides and if this happened everyday no one would ever make it home on time. This act is not to be applauded. Metra described this as a "trespasser fatality".