May 7, 2008 6:16 am US/Central
Man, Woman Killed By Metra Train In Humboldt Park
CHICAGO (STNG) ―
A Metra train fatally struck a man and woman Tuesday evening, and investigators want to know why they were on the Northwest Side tracks.
Minutes earlier, residents in the 1400 block of North Monticello Avenue, which is across the street from the elevated tracks, saw the unidentified man and woman.
Robert Morales, 32, an area resident, said he saw the two at a nearby park arguing. A short time later, he saw them hugging, though the woman appeared reluctant.
David Villagomez, whose home is across the street from the train tracks, said he witnessed the fight and apparent effort to make up, but didn't think much about it. He went inside to see his 6-month-old child.
But as a northbound train approached, and the horn blared three or four times, he rushed out to see what was happening. By the time he got outside, the two were lying dead in an embankment near the tracks.
Chicago Police received the first 911 call that people were hit by a train just before 5:30 p.m.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's office said both victim's were in their 20s. Pronouncement information was not immediately available. An autopsy is scheduled for later Wednesday.
Nobody else was injured, Fire Media Affairs Chief Kevin MacGregor said.
Outbound Metra Milwaukee District North No. 2137 train en route to Fox Lake from Chicago's Union Station struck the man and woman, Metra spokeswoman Meg Reile said.
The incident forced Metra to cancel four scheduled trains and caused delays on several lines, according to Metra's Web site. All trains were running on schedule late Tuesday.
Residents said the two were familiar faces in the neighborhood, but those interviewed didn't know their names.
They, too, were puzzled about why the two went to the train tracks.
About 10 minutes earlier, Morales said he overheard the argument and watched as the man tried to kiss the woman.
"They were at the little park by the tracks and they were angry, yelling at each other," he said. "Then they were standing around and he was trying to hug her, to kiss her. She was just pushing him away."
Residents say it's not unusual to see people going to the train tracks to do drugs, and that access to the tracks is easier than ever since a fence was taken down in recent years.
(Source: Sun-Times News Group Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2008. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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