Commuter train crash in Chicago during rush hour

[Brent]

CNN is showing live pictures right now. 13 injured, 1 critical.

Metra Train, Several Vehicles Collide
One Car Reportedly On Fire

POSTED: 5:14 pm CST November 23, 2005
UPDATED: 5:57 pm CST November 23, 2005

CHICAGO -- A commuter train struck several vehicles during the holiday rush hour Wednesday in this Chicago suburb, a Metra spokesman said.

At least one of the vehicles burst into flames as a result of the accident, Metra spokesman Patrick Waldron said. He did not immediately have information about injuries.

The train, which left Chicago's Union Station at 4:25 p.m., was probably carrying several hundred passengers when the accident occurred, Waldron said.

Pardonnet said she did not know if there were any injuries. The collision was described as a high-speed collision.

Alan Pollack, a passenger on the train, said the train was moving 50 to 60 miles and hour at the time of the accident. The passengers aboard the train appeared not to have suffered any major injuries, Sky5's Mike Lorber reported. Several ambulances were on the scene of the crash.

The collision occurred at the Elmwood Park Grand Avenue train station. The train is a Milwaukee West Line District train that runs from downtown to Antioch. Lorber said the line would be shut down for a while.

Norman Seiff, who was on the scene, said police were diverting traffic around the scene, and described the side streets as "one big traffic jam." Seiff said he counted 15 cars that were involved in the accident.

"We didn't hear a thing," Seiff said. "We just started looking out the window and we saw the police cars and the fire engines race to the area. We opened the window and we could smell the smoke and we saw papers flying."