A man, woman, and young child were traveling in a sports utility vehicle Monday afternoon when a train collided with their vehicle. As a passerby was awaiting the train to pass on the tracks in Hillview, Illinois, approximately 80 miles north of St. Louis, he was startled by the conductor running along the tracks and yelling for help. The conductor was asking for help to “find the baby”. He was referring to the toddler that had been in the SUV that the train had struck. As the passerby, a Hillview man, approached the scene of the accident, he witnessed a man with wounds to his head and face rolling on the ground and a woman in a mangled SUV. The woman was screaming and asking for her baby. The child was found nearby in some tall weeds crying, bloodied and with cuts to his face. Emergency crews responded and two of the victims were transported to the hospital via ambulance and the other via medical helicopter. The Illinois State Police are investigating the accident, and the individuals’ conditions are unknown.
There are approximately 11,000 railroad accidents that occur each year in the United States, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Any accident involving a train vs. car or pedestrian has catastrophic injuries and fatalities. Several railroad accidents happen at railroad crossings and may be caused by a lack of proper safety and warning devices. A full investigation into any accident is necessary to gather all evidence to prove fault and to properly negotiate to recover compensation.
The St. Louis personal injury attorneys at Meyerkord & Kurth have over a century of experience and have recovered millions of dollars for our clients. If you have been in injured or lost a loved one in a railroad accident, contact us today for a free consultation.