Woman Killed By Train After Slipping, Falling In Elgin

ELGIN, IL - A 45-year-old Carpentersville woman was killed early Thursday when she was struck by a Metra train in Elgin. Metra reported the incident on their website and Twitter page around 6:30 a.m. The woman, identified as Tawanda Williams, was trying to cross the tracks when she slipped and fell before being struck by the train.

Williams was struck by an inbound train, #2210, on the Milwaukee District West Line. Elgin Fire Department Battalion Chief Richard Carter told ABC Chicago that witnesses saw her get off a bus and attempt to cross the tracks before tripping and falling.

He said he arrived on the scene to find her lying on a sidewalk next to the tracks with severe leg injuries.

"(People) don't think the train is moving very fast," Carter said. "They think they can run in front of it ... You just have to be patient. Don't take a chance with your life," he added, saying it's not worth risking your life to avoid missing a train. "Just wait for (the next train," he said. "No rush like that is worth your life."

Williams was taken to Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin, where she died, according to NBC Chicago.

According to Metra, Williams' death was the fifth non-suicide pedestrian death this year.

Photo by Tim Moran