Apr 28, 2008 11:35 am US/Central
Truck Driver Ticketed In Fatal CTA Crash
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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A semi truck trailer crashed into the north stairwell of the CTA Cermak/Chinatown Red Line station during rush hour April 25, 2008. Two people were killed on the scene.
CBS
The driver of the truck which slammed into a CTA train station on Friday has been cited for negligent driving. CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports that some riders are worried about the lack of criminal charges and the unknown cause of the crash.
Morning commuters scurried across the wide intersection near the CTA's Cermak/Chinatown Red Line station on Monday. With the help of traffic aides, they safely walked by cars exiting the Dan Ryan Expressway to get to the entrance on the south side of Cermak Road to board trains.
The north entrance of the station is boarded up, hiding the damage of Friday's deadly accident.
An 18-year-old girl and a 47-year-old woman died when a truck exiting the highway plowed through that intersection, smashing into the station.
On Monday, CTA passengers were thinking that it could've been them.
Gene Moy said, "I just actually got off the train and turned the corner and then I heard the boom and then the screams."
Pat Johnson said, "It's a tragedy, I hate that it happened, it's a tragedy."
The driver, 64-year-old Don Wells, of Michigan, was issued a traffic ticket for negligent driving and was released from police custody late Sunday night after refusing treatment at Stroger Hospital.
No criminal charges have been filed and there has been no indication that drugs or alcohol played a part, but the cause of the crash still isn't known and police say they're still investigating. That haunts some riders.
Peter Beasley said, "I think it's something we need to know, You know, it was something that was tragic, something that shouldn't have happened."
Moy said, "Whether it was brake failure, mechanical failure or human error, you can't really gauge when these things are going to happen."
Police said the investigation is not over and the driver could face more charges. They are reviewing surveillance video, recorded by CTA cameras.
More than 20 people were injured in that crash, including children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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