Freight Train Fatally Strikes Pedestrian In Northbrook

NORTHBROOK, IL — For the second time in less than a week, a train has struck a person on the tracks in Northbrook. Service was halted in both directions after a freight train fatally struck a pedestrian near the Shermer Road crossing, which was closed until further notice, according to village and railroad officials.

A Canadian Pacific freight train struck a person crossing the tracks at the Northbrook Metra station around 2 p.m., according to a spokesperson for the railroad. The incident is being investigated by Canadian Pacific police jointly with Northbrook and Metra police.

Trains were halted until police and representatives of the medical examiner's cleared the scene, and village officials announced the crossing was re-opened around 5 p.m.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as 57-year-old Joseph P. Jekot, of Chicago's North Park neighborhood and ruled his death to be a suicide. Last Wednesday, an Amtrak train struck and killed a person on the tracks near the Shermer Road crossing on its way to Milwaukee. In that incident, a 48-year-old Northbrook woman died by suicide, according to the medical examiner's office.

If you or someone you know needs help, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.