Arlington Heights police and firefighter/paramedics responded about 7:49 AM Friday July 21, 2017 to a report of a person hit by a Metra train at Northwest Highway and Arlington Heights Road Arlington Heights, Il. Police and firefighter/paramedics confirmed a person was hit and killed by a Metra train.
Witnesses reported a person with long hair jumped in front of the train. Arlington Heights Police Department Deputy Chief Andrew Whowell, who was on the scene, later stated that a woman was hit, and that the incident initially appeared to be a suicide.
When the train cleared the scene, police gathered evidence and inspected the area. Police also photographed the area before and after Metra Train #626 left the scene.
The incident caused extensive delays to Metra train travel on the UP Northwest Line. Immediately after the woman was struck, Metra passenger trains were halted in both directions as Metra Train #626 was stopped across Arlington Heights Road and just east of Arlington Heights Road.
METRA ALERT
Metra Alert UP-NW – Inbound And Outbound Train Movement Halted Near Arlington Heights.
Chicago inbound Metra Train #626 struck a pedestrian. Metra Train #626 boards in Arlington Heights at 7:45 a.m. and struck the pedestrian shortly after leaving the Arlington Heights downtown Metra station toward Chicago.
Arlington Heights Road was blocked in both directions at Northwest Highway.
Northbound Evergreen Avenue was blocked, but southbound Evergreen Avenue was moving.
Dunton Avenue was open in both directions, and Vail Avenue was open in both directions.
Outbound train movement slowly began about 9:06 a.m.
Another train connected (coupled) with Metra Train #626, and both trains moved —
connected — toward Chicago at about 10:05 a.m. The tracks were then cleared for inbound Chicago movements.
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Metra Alert UP-NW – Inbound And Outbound Train Movement Halted Near Arlington Heights – Train #626 Struck A Pedestrian
— Metra UP-NW (@metraUPNW) July 21, 2017
Outbound trains movements will slowly start again on track 1 with extensive residual delays about 60+ minutes. No Inbound train movements.
— Metra UP-NW (@metraUPNW) July 21, 2017
Metra Alert UP-NW – Inbound Trains On The Move With Extensive Delays – Train #626 Struck A Pedestrian at Arlington Heights
— Metra UP-NW (@metraUPNW) July 21, 2017
Metra Alert UP-NW – Inbound and Outbound Trains Operating With Minimal Delays-Train #626 Struck A Pedestrian at Arlington Heights Earlier
— Metra UP-NW (@metraUPNW) July 21, 2017