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Woman Goes Around Gates, Killed By Train

October 18, 2005

Riverside Police reported on Thursday that they had received about 10 different phone calls from people who witnessed the accident that involved a train and Patrica G. Quane of Oak Park last week.

Police are still investigating the cause of the accident but they have begun receiving more witness accounts now that the investigation is underway.

Quane, a 52-year old woman, of the 1100 block of South Home Avenue, was hit and killed by a Metra express train at around 7:45 a.m. on Aug. 23 at the Longcommon Road crossing in Riverside.

According to witnesses, Quane ignored the flashing warning lights and drove her bike through the crossing gates and passed an idling commuter train before she drove onto the track and into the path of an eastbound express train.

A spokesman from the police department said that the train gates, lights and bells were functioning properly.

Police believe that Quane, who was headed northbound, simply did not see the express train approaching.

Railroad officials report that the third, southern-most track had some freight cars that were broken down due to an equipment failure.

That is normally the track where inbound commuters would normally board the train, but they were boarding and deboarding on the middle track at the grade crossing. Track one was taken by an express commuter train, which didn't have a scheduled stop in Riverside.

Quane was an avid cyclist who would go for long rides in the morning. Police believe that she was headed home to Oak Park, northbound, when she was killed crossing the tracks.

She may have been confused because commuters were trying to board the commuter train on the middle track and railroad personnel were on the southern-most track working on the freight that was stopped.

Investigation has led officials to believe that Quane didn't appear to be wearing headphones at the time of the accident.

Officials are puzzled by the lack of headphones or anything that would have hindered her hearing. There is even evidence that shows that horns were activated by the train on the middle track as well as by the express train to warn her about the oncoming train.

Police re-issue their warning that people are not to cross the tracks when the crossing gates are down.

The accident is nothing short of tragic said an officer and because of this incident they will do more focused enforcement as a safety reminder.

Riverside Deputy Police Chief said police were not able to identify Quane until six hours later the day of the accident, because she was not holding any identification.