5 hurt in MetroLink crash as track closure expected to last all night
A MetroLink train and a pickup truck collided on Saturday, forcing the MetroLink tracks to be closed between the Emerson Park and Fairview Heights stations.
Four passengers and the train operator all requested medical assistance after the crash, according to a MetroLink spokesman. Their medical conditions were not available Saturday. Also, the condition of the truck driver was not available.
Passengers must take a bus to get to the Emerson Park, JJK Center, Washington Park and Fairview Heights stations, MetroLink said in a news release.
MetroLink passengers likely will have to use bus shuttles around the crash site for the rest of Saturday night as repairs are made.
The delay is now estimated to be about 30 minutes, down from an earlier estimate of 60 minutes.
MetroLink said westbound passengers in the metro-east can avoid the bus shuttles by boarding trains at the Emerson Park, 5th & Missouri or East Riverfront stations.
The collision occurred at the grade crossing on Kingshighway at the Washington Park and East St. Louis border. The site is near the Washington Park MetroLink station.
East St. Louis police officers, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department deputies and EMS crews responded to the scene.
East St. Louis police officers are handling the crash investigation, according to the Illinois State Police. A spokesman for the East St. Louis Police Department could not be reached for comment.
State troopers also were on the scene but they are investigating a minor crash that occurred when a vehicle backed into a MetroLink patrol car, according to an Illinois State Police spokesman.
This story was originally published February 22, 2020 at 2:13 PM.
