Man cited after Metra train collides with his car in Fox River Grove

A 21-year-old man was cited after a Wednesday crash involving his car and a Metra train in Fox River Grove, a Metra official said.

Keith Allen was cited for improper turning and driving off the road, Metra spokesperson Meg Reile said.

Union Pacific Northwest Line train 653 struck Allen’s Honda Accord at about 8 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Route 14 and Algonquin Road. Inbound and outbound trains were halted for about two hours while Metra and Fox River Grove police investigated, Reile said.

Allen managed to get out of his vehicle before it was hit, which is the first thing a person should do if their car gets stuck on the tracks, Reile said. She did not know why he had driven onto the tracks.

Anyone whose car gets stuck at an intersection should get out of the car and find the sign that gives the intersection ID and telephone number for the Metra dispatch center. If a call is made soon enough, the conductor may be able to stop the train before a crash occurs, Reile said.

“Timing is everything,” she said.

The incident occurred at the site where seven Cary-Grove High School students on a school bus were killed when the rear of their bus was struck by a train in 1995.