Watch CBS News

CTA Train Accident Leaves Passengers Shaken Up

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The collision on the CTA's Blue Line injured 33 people who were rushed to eight hospitals, including Rush Hospital in Oak Park.

All the injured passengers at Rush Hospital were treated and released. Most of the injuries in the crash were not serious but passengers CBS 2 talked to were very shaken.

The accident was so frightening passenger Cathy Bowes said she and her fiancé Gary Harrison at first didn't realize they were hurt.

"People were yelling and screaming and just trying to get off. We didn't know what was going on. It was just a hard impact."

Bowes and Harrison said after the crash they were boarding a CTA shuttle bus when they felt the pain.

"A nice couple said 'are you ok' and I said, I don't know where I'm at and they said let us take you to the hospital," said Bowes.

The couple, strangers, brought them to Loyola Medical Center where Bowes had headaches Harrison had a swollen right leg.

"My leg is killing me," said Harrison.

Altogether, four passengers were brought to Loyola. Doctor Karen Spangle was prepared for a difficult morning.

"It seems like it looked worse than it turned out to be in terms of the injuries that came to Loyola. We have seen things like lacerations, contusions, sprains and strains, that sort of thing," said Spangle.

Minors injuries or not, Karen Bowes says she's traumatized.

"Everybody said 'take the train, it's safer. It's better' It's not. It's not," said Bowes.

Harrison and Bowes said they had travelled all the way from the South Side and were close to their destination when they crash happened. They're expected to be ok.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.