NEWS RELEASE

RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT 31 Riverside Road, Riverside, IL 60546

20 February 2014
Contact:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chief Thomas Weitzel
tweitzel@riverside.il.us

708.447.2127

Follow RPD on Twitter @pdriverside

Riverside Police Respond to Train v. Vehicle Accident

Amtrak train strikes vehicle stuck on tracks in traffic On Thursday, February 20, 2014, the Riverside Police Department received a call of a train v. vehicle accident at 2:38 p.m. Multiple 911 calls reported an Amtrak outbound train had struck a vehicle at the Harlem Avenue grade crossing. When the first officer arrived, he found a female and her dog still inside the vehicle (2005 Volvo station wagon) but conscious and alert. As police personnel continued to arrive, the driver, in a somewhat dazed state, wanted to exit her vehicle and attempted to get out of the vehicle on her own. Riverside Police administered first aid until Riverside paramedics arrived. The driver, Cathy J. Griesmeyer, 67 of the 1400 Block of Elizabeth Street in Crete was transported to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn for her injuries. Her dog was transferred to the Berwyn Veterinary Hospital in Berwyn for treatment (4 year old male Shi Tzu named Tuxedo). It was later learned during the investigation that the dog sustained very minor injuries and is in good health. The driver was also released back into police custody after the accident to complete the investigation. The driver, along with multiple witnesses, gave the following account of what took place. The driver, Cathy Griesmeyer, was south bound on Harlem at the Burlington Northern crossing (3400 S. Harlem). She became stuck on the tracks as traffic was heavy in front and behind her. Initially, there was no train coming and she remained

on the tracks in the south bound center lane. At some point, the activation of the gates and lights took place and she observed a west bound Amtrak train travelling at a high rate of speed towards her vehicle. She then attempted to put her vehicle in reverse and was actually able to move off the tracks somewhat. The individuals that were in their cars behind her saw her back-up lights come on and attempted to also back up but traffic was very heavy and they were only able to move a small distance. However, this small distance actually saved Ms. Griesmeyers life. She was able to move off the tracks to a point where the Amtrak train struck the front of her vehicle, spinning the vehicle around. This slight maneuver may have saved her life. Once treated for her injuries and given her account of the events, Riverside Police issued a traffic citation for unlawful stopping at a grate crossing. Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel stated, The first call came in at 2:38 p.m. Officers arrived within two minutes. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon that motorists routinely stop on the railroad crossing due to heavy traffic. I strongly encourage motorists to wait before crossing a grate crossing until there is enough room in front of you to clear the crossing completely. There is no doubt in my mind that if Ms. Griesmeyer had not been able to back up even in the slightest fashion that Riverside Police would be investigating a fatal accident instead of issuing a citation to the driver. At the time of the accident the train was traveling 71MPH and took 1,338 feet to stop after the collision. The Amtrak train had 113 passengers and crew of 11 on board. No injuries to passengers or crew.

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