Overview

• A Union Pacific freight train struck a vehicle around 2:24 a.m. near the McGuire Road crossing in Harvard, with the car found fully engulfed roughly a quarter mile north on a bend in the tracks.
• First responders located a man about 20 feet down in a nearby ravine, used a Utility Terrain Vehicle and rescue equipment to reach him, and transported him to a Rockford hospital with serious injuries.
• Metra temporarily suspended inbound and outbound service at Harvard, directed trains to make all stops from Crystal Lake to Chicago, and urged commuters to seek alternative transportation due to expected delays.
• Officials said the northbound local freight had only five cars, did not derail, carried no hazardous materials, and reported no injuries among crew members.
• The vehicle was removed and the roadway reopened around 5:30 a.m., and the Metra Police Department is conducting the investigation.