Woman injured when car collides with railroad machinery while crossing tracks in Crystal Lake

A woman was injured when her car crossed train tracks in Crystal Lake and collided with Union Pacific Railroad maintenance machinery Tuesday morning, officials said.

A ballast regulator responsible for the replacement of ties and ballasts was moving along the tracks when it struck a Volkswagen Beetle at the crossing of Sands Road about 11 a.m. Tuesday, Metra Communications Director Michael Gillis said in an email. The Metra line that goes to Crystal Lake runs on Union Pacific tracks.

A woman in the car was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with head injuries, Gillis said. Her condition was unclear.

The crash resulted in the tracks closing for about an hour, delaying trains, Gillis said. Sands Road from Route 14 to Smitana Road was closed for about two hours, according to the Crystal Lake Police Department.

The crash currently is under investigation, Gillis said.