20-Year-Old Man Struck and Killed By Freight Train in Bridgeview

BRIDGEVIEW, IL -- A 20-year-old man was struck and killed Thursday morning by a freight train while walking on the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad tracks in Bridgeview, police said.

The non-passenger cargo freight train which passes through several southwest suburbs struck the man around 8:30 a.m. near 91st Street and 76th Avenue. The tracks are in a prairie area adjacent to the the I-294 Tollway and approximately three blocks west of Harlem Avenue.

The train conductor told Bridgeview police that the train was heading north. The man was spotted walking north with his back to the oncoming train on the railroad tracks. Police said the engineer immediately applied the brakes and began blowing the train horn to alert the man on the tracks.

According to police, the man showed no sign of response and was hit by the train. The accident is still under investigation to determine what the man was on the tracks and did not acknowledge warning sounds by the train.

The man’s name is not being released pending notification of his family.