Person Fatally Hit By CTA Purple Line Train In Evanston

By Stephen Gossett in News on Dec 2, 2016 11:24PM

Courtesy of Evanston Fire Department

A person was fatally struck by a Purple Line train at around 4 p.m. near the Foster St. station, according to Evanston police. Service along the line was suspended between Howard and Linden due to the emergency, the CTA said.

The line is operational only between Howard and the Loop, and only running express, as of 6 p.m. on Friday.

The victim was deceased when fire crews responded to the scene, after receiving calls that a person was struck and possibly pinned underneath a train car, Evanston police said in a media release. Authorities are investigating the death as a suicide. Police said they were told by a witness that the victim, believed to be between the ages of 20 and 30, leapt in front of the train.

The CTA urged Purple Line riders to consider using the 201 or 305 buses as an alternate route. Shuttle buses were also made available. Police said the Foster St. platform would be closed while crews investigated.