A 49-year-old Yorkville man died May 5 when he was struck by a freight train on the Union Pacific-West railroad tracks at the Third Street crossing in downtown Geneva.
Geneva Police and Fire Department personnel were dispatched to the scene at 8:53 p.m. for a train accident involving a pedestrian. Upon arrival, police officers met with two men and located the Yorkville man near the tracks east of Third Street. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
The two men advised they witnessed the tragic accident along with multiple witnesses in the area. Preliminary indications are all three men exited a westbound Metra train on the south side of Third Street. Their vehicle was parked on the north side of the tracks. With the Metra train parked to unload passengers and the emergency guardrail arms still down and flashing, the three men went underneath the arms to cross the tracks. Two men made it safely, but the Yorkville man was struck by an eastbound freight train on the north track.
The stopped freight train blocked both the Third Street and Western Avenue crossings for more than two hours due to the emergency response.
The accident remains under investigation by the Geneva Police Department and the Kane County Coroner’s Office. The Kane County Coroner’s Office has scheduled an autopsy for Monday, May 8.
The Geneva Police Department will not be releasing the victim’s name at this time as the Yorkville man’s family members are still being notified about this tragedy.
