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Lake Forest Woman Fatally Struck By Train

DEERFIELD, Ill. (STMW) - The death of a Lake Forest woman on Friday at the Deerfield Metra station was accidental, Lake County Coroner Dr. Richard Keller said Sunday.

Lourn Levert, 29, crossed the tracks while the warning light was flashing at the station and was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:40 p.m., Keller said.

"It appears to be a very unfortunate accident," Keller said.

A Metra spokeswoman said there is no indication anything was awry at the station at 860 Deerfield Road.

The train that struck Levert was a Canadian Pacific freight train, according to Metra spokeswoman Meg Reile. The accident delayed Metra traffic about 30 minutes, she said.

Reile said she did not believe the incident was under investigation.

"There's no reason for anyone to be on railroad tracks when the lights are flashing, period," Reile said.

Illinois is ranked the third-highest state in the nation for railroad crossing fatalities, according to Operation Lifesaver.

In 2009, the most recent data available, 246 rail crossing fataliites occurred nationwide. Seventeen of them were in Illinois.

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