A motorist who tried to beat a freight train by going around downed railroad gates in downtown Wheaton was struck and killed this morning, police said.
The accident, which happened about 10:35 a.m., continued to disrupt traffic in the area some two hours later, said Deputy Police Chief Thomas Maloney.
He said a half-dozen crossings were blocked by the stopped freight train as an investigation was conducted.
The President Street crossing where the accident occurred will be closed for several days to allow Union Pacific to replace a switching box that was damaged, he said.
The identity of the driver, a man and the sole occupant of a red Toyota, was not disclosed pending notification of family members.
He was alive when taken away by paramedics, but died at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Maloney said.
The car was going south on President when it was struck by the eastbound freight train.
Metra trains on the Union Pacific West line are experiencing significant delays, according to Metra’s Web site.
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