Pedestrian Identified After Fatally Hit By Two Freight Trains In Joliet: He May Have Been Pushed

Update: The Will County Coroner’s Office is reporting the death of Steven Spangler, a 60-year-old male resident of Joliet, IL, who was pronounced deceased on October 26th, 2022. Mr. Spangler was a pedestrian that was struck by a train at the Joliet Union Station, in Joliet, IL. The Metra Police Department is investigating the incident.

The pedestrian hit and killed by a freight train may have been pushed. Sources to WJOL report the man was pushed onto the tracks and a freight train then hit the pedestrian in Joliet and a second fright train was unable to stop and hit the person again. Sources say there was an altercation on the platform at the Gateway Transportation Center in Joliet and that’s when the person was pushed onto the tracks.

Metra Police is investigating. Yesterday Metra service from Joliet was halted for several hours on two Metra lines.

Joliet Police was the first on the scene, however, since the incident occurred on the railroad tracks, Metra Police is investigating. Metra spokesperson, Michael Gillis responded to WJOL for a request for comment and says, “the incident is still under investigation and still being investigated by Metra Police.”

— original story below — 

Service on two Metra train lines have resumed following a pedestrian being hit by two freight trains. It was about 3:30 a.m. that a freight train was passing through the Joliet station at 90 E. Jefferson St. and struck a male. Metra spokesperson Michael Gillis tells WJOL that it appears another freight train came through and hit the person again. The second train was stopped at a place that was blocking both the Rock Island and Heritage Corridor Metra trains. There was limited service from New Lenox on the Rock Island train line but the Heritage Corridor was not operational until about 8:30am.

The circumstances of the fatality is under investigation by Metra police.

All tracks were fully operational as of 10:45 a.m.