Traffic stopped briefly after pickup hits Metro guard rail

Traffic was briefly shut down Thursday afternoon on St. Clair Avenue in Washington Park after a vehicle ran into the westbound crossing guard rail at the MetroLink tracks there.

The vehicle’s driver, Otha Bush, of Washington Park, said he couldn’t see the guard rail, which struck his windshield, because the sun had gotten in his eyes. Bush, who drives a red Chevrolet pickup, was just coming from a mechanic’s shop where he’d had some work done on his vehicle’s exhaust, he said.

The accident snapped the guard rail nearly in half, dangling until MetroLink crews could replace it with a new one. Some broken lights lie on the ground.

After the accident, Bush said he called Washington Park police. St. Clair County sheriffs also responded to the scene.

MetroLink could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

This story was originally published July 21, 2016 at 6:36 PM with the headline "Traffic stopped briefly after pickup hits Metro guard rail."