More Than 140 Injured in Chicago Train Wreck

CHICAGO â€”  A packed commuter train rear-ended another on the elevated tracks during morning rush hour near the downtown Loop on Friday, sending more than 140 people to hospitals and stranding thousands of commuters for hours.

Neither of the two six-car trains derailed. More than 1,200 passengers were on board during the collision. Dozens got off bloodied, bruised and frightened.

Most of those were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, but a few were listed in serious condition. None had life-threatening injuries.

Other trains were stalled along the lines and left powerless for more than an hour after the accident, leaving commuters to swelter in packed cars with no air-conditioning.

“I heard the impact, and there was smoke, soot and dirt everywhere. Things were flying down from the ceiling. There was a moment of chaos on the train. People were yelling to see if anyone was hurt bad,� said Michael Cohen, a passenger on one of the trains.

Yvette Pughsley, who was walking nearby, heard “a really loud boom and there was smoke everywhere.�

“The cars were rocking, and I thought ‘Oh, my God, it’s going to turn over,’ � she said.

Because of rush-hour congestion, one of the trains was stopped on the tracks between stations when the other train, rounding a curve at no more than 6 mph, struck it from behind about 9 a.m., said Frank Kruesi, president of the Chicago Transit Authority.

“It shouldn’t have happened. We’re trying to find out why it happened,� Kruesi said, adding that both trains were in communication with their control center and should have been able to see each other.

Drug and alcohol tests were given to the two train operators and the control center staff, standard procedure after a crash.