Man Dies At Chicago "L" Station After Coming In Contact With Third Rail
By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 23, 2012 2:20PM
An Indiana man died late Sunday night after coming into contact with the electrified third rail on the Purple Line "L" tracks in Evanston.
Zachary McKee, 27, of Ossian, Ind. was pronounced dead at Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston last night. According to an Evanston Police Department report, McKee climbed off the South Boulevard station platform to urinate when he slipped and made contact with the third rail. One of the two people with McKee ran down to alert the security guard on duty. Authorities haven't said if McKee urinated on the electrified rail. The Chicago Sun-Times, CBS Chicago and WLS-AM all reported McKee was urinating on the tracks, and slipped and fell on the third rail.
Mythbusters put the "peeing on the third rail" theory to the test in 2003 and found a subject would have to stand inches from an electrified rail to even feel a shock.