A Morning Never to Forget
On Wednesday morning, I was walking from the parking lot to the train station. My wife and I were running late and had missed our normal train. It was a brisk morning much like many others this time of year in the Chicago area.
A train whistle screamed in the distance. I ignored it much like most others you hear when you live around trains. The whistle screamed again, only this time it was a lot closer and it sounded like it had a purpose.
As I walked up the hill I looked toward the crossing. I saw a lady standing near the tracks. She was clearly the reason for the train whistle. I watched her and I wondered if she was too close. From where I stood, I couldn't be sure. I was about 100 feet away or so and across a street that follows the tracks.
She turned toward the direction of the whistle. She looked startled. Her body language made me stop dead in my tracks... She froze.
She was on the other side of the tracks from me. The far track in a set of three. I was walking up toward the crossing, coming from the same direction as the approaching train. I don't know if she was frozen for 1 second or three, my mind lost those details.
The train whipped through the station. I've since found out it was an empty train heading out of downtown. Empty trains run very quickly. I don't know how fast it was going and I don't know what a commuter trains weighs. If I had to guess, I'd say it was going between 50 and 70 MPH.
I lost sight of the lady. My stride had already stopped but now my eyes were locked on the spot she'd stood. The train, while flying, seemed to take forever to clear. When it did, she wasn't there. I couldn't move.
My wife was now 10 steps ahead of me and asked what was wrong as she looked back. She hadn't noticed the same things I had. I told her "I think I just saw a lady get hit by a train." as I walked toward her and closer to the crossing. All the while I didn't look at my wife but rather across the road to the crossing... Around the corner... Across the street she'd appeared to be walking toward... Behind the crossing gates... Looking for her.
She wasn't there. And as I approached the crossing, it was clear that I wasn't mistaken. The scene was horrendous. She was destroyed. This person I'd seen 10 seconds before act startled, or resolute, was no longer alive. I saw her final second on this earth. I'm at a loss as to her name or anything else about her. I'm seeking more information because I feel a connection to this poor soul.
I gave the police a statement. I went to work that day. I stared at the walls.
My sister called that night. It helped talking to her. I think it helps putting my thoughts here. Each time I can do what I've always done, stay with what I'm accustomed to, helps. But it was, regardless, a scene I'd rather forget, but never will.
A train whistle screamed in the distance. I ignored it much like most others you hear when you live around trains. The whistle screamed again, only this time it was a lot closer and it sounded like it had a purpose.
As I walked up the hill I looked toward the crossing. I saw a lady standing near the tracks. She was clearly the reason for the train whistle. I watched her and I wondered if she was too close. From where I stood, I couldn't be sure. I was about 100 feet away or so and across a street that follows the tracks.
She turned toward the direction of the whistle. She looked startled. Her body language made me stop dead in my tracks... She froze.
She was on the other side of the tracks from me. The far track in a set of three. I was walking up toward the crossing, coming from the same direction as the approaching train. I don't know if she was frozen for 1 second or three, my mind lost those details.
The train whipped through the station. I've since found out it was an empty train heading out of downtown. Empty trains run very quickly. I don't know how fast it was going and I don't know what a commuter trains weighs. If I had to guess, I'd say it was going between 50 and 70 MPH.
I lost sight of the lady. My stride had already stopped but now my eyes were locked on the spot she'd stood. The train, while flying, seemed to take forever to clear. When it did, she wasn't there. I couldn't move.
My wife was now 10 steps ahead of me and asked what was wrong as she looked back. She hadn't noticed the same things I had. I told her "I think I just saw a lady get hit by a train." as I walked toward her and closer to the crossing. All the while I didn't look at my wife but rather across the road to the crossing... Around the corner... Across the street she'd appeared to be walking toward... Behind the crossing gates... Looking for her.
She wasn't there. And as I approached the crossing, it was clear that I wasn't mistaken. The scene was horrendous. She was destroyed. This person I'd seen 10 seconds before act startled, or resolute, was no longer alive. I saw her final second on this earth. I'm at a loss as to her name or anything else about her. I'm seeking more information because I feel a connection to this poor soul.
I gave the police a statement. I went to work that day. I stared at the walls.
My sister called that night. It helped talking to her. I think it helps putting my thoughts here. Each time I can do what I've always done, stay with what I'm accustomed to, helps. But it was, regardless, a scene I'd rather forget, but never will.
posted by crackerdog at 4:59 PM
2 Comments:
Holy shit, yo. I've been run over by a train, I'm missing half my foot to prove it, but I was trying to hop the fucker as it tore out of the yard. A series of mishaps later, the train never actually ran over the head and right hand that tumbled to the tracks after I discovered I had damaged my boot somewhat. For her to be at that spot, to be destroyed like that, was she terminally dumb, suicidal, both? Why did you have to win the "Faces of Death" witness lottery for that day in Chicago? Damn, yo, I hopes yr fambly gotcher back long-term on this one. That would sure give me nightmares and a distinct need for some one to talk to. Repeatedly.
Ah, it happened 14 years ago... I'm well adjusted and spend all day long on my alleged feet, working hard to pay the bills and feed the kids like a responsible democrat. Could have been worse, check out this dumbass.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WI_TRAIN_FATALITY_WIOL-?SITE=WIFON&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
PS I love all bars and travel thru Chicago every twenty years or so.
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