The Pleasantdale Elementary students died in a collision at a Western Springs crossing where officials said warning gates appeared to be working.
WESTERN SPRINGS, Ill. — Two elementary school girls were killed and a woman was critically injured after an Amtrak train struck their vehicle Wednesday morning at a railroad crossing in suburban Chicago, authorities and school officials said.
The Nov. 11 collision happened shortly after 8 a.m. at the Wolf Road crossing in Western Springs. The two children attended Pleasantdale Elementary School in nearby La Grange. Their names and ages had not been publicly released as of Thursday as investigators continued working to determine how the vehicle came to be on the tracks.
Village officials said preliminary information showed that the railroad crossing gates were functioning and engaged when the collision occurred. Officials stressed that the finding was preliminary, and authorities had not announced a final cause of the crash or explained why the vehicle entered or remained in the crossing.
The westbound Amtrak train, No. 381, was traveling from Chicago toward Quincy when it struck the vehicle just west of La Grange at about 8:10 a.m., according to Amtrak. The railroad said there were no reported injuries among the 35 passengers and crew members aboard. Customers were later moved to alternate bus transportation for the remainder of the route.
The woman driving the vehicle survived and was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood with severe injuries, according to local officials. Witnesses told Chicago-area news organizations that people from nearby businesses rushed toward the vehicle following the collision and helped the driver get away from it before emergency responders took over. Authorities had not released a detailed update on her condition Thursday.
Pleasantdale School District 107 Superintendent Dave Palzet said both children had been students in the district since kindergarten. The district brought in social workers, counselors and other crisis-response staff to assist students and employees as the school community mourned the deaths.
“Words cannot express the heartbreak and sorrow we feel as we mourn this devastating loss,” Palzet said in a message to the school community. Speaking Thursday, he said the small district was focused on supporting children and staff as they processed the deaths. Therapy dogs were also made available at the school.
The crash disrupted rail traffic through the western suburbs for much of Wednesday. Metra’s BNSF Line, which uses the tracks through Western Springs, was halted while investigators and emergency crews worked at the scene. Multiple trains were canceled before service began returning later in the day. The Wolf Road and Grand Avenue railroad crossings were also temporarily closed.
Flowers and candles were placed near the Western Springs train station Thursday as residents mourned the children. The village also arranged for social workers and comfort dogs to be available at Village Hall for people affected by or who witnessed the collision.
Investigators continued examining the circumstances of the crash Thursday. Although officials said the crossing equipment appeared to have been working, no final determination had been released explaining what led to the vehicle being on the tracks when the train arrived.
Author note: Last updated November 12, 2026.