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Man Struck By Metra Trains In Arlington Heights

CHICAGO (STMW) -- A pedestrian was struck by two outbound Metra trains that had been linked together Sunday night on the Union Pacific/Northwest Line in northwest suburban Arlington Heights.

The trains struck the person about 9:45 p.m. near the Arlington Heights station, said Metra spokesman Michael Gillis.

About 7:15 p.m., outbound train No. 723, scheduled to arrive in Harvard at 8:20 p.m., developed mechanical problems and couldn't get the locomotive started, Gillis said.

The following train, No. 725, which was scheduled to arrive in Harvard at 10:20 p.m., tied on to No. 723 so the first train could resume its trip, Gillis said.

The combined trains then struck the pedestrian in a grade crossing, according to Metra. The person was taken to a hospital but his or her condition wasn't immediately known, Gillis said.

Arlington Heights police said they were investigating but declined to provide further details early Monday.

As of midnight, both trains were on the move with delays of more than two hours, according to the transit agency.

Train No. 729 scheduled to arrive in Crystal Lake at 12:55 a.m. was about 45 minutes behind schedule due to unrelated switch problems near Lake Street.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2015. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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