CHICAGO — A Chicago Transit Authority track worker is recovering after she made contact with the track’s electrified third rail, the Chicago Sun Times reports.
The track flagger was holding a metal object near the Wilson station on the agency’s Red and Purple Line when she accidentally touched the third rail, a CTA representative tells regional media.
The track worker was still conscious when she was moved to a local hospital in serious condition. Her current condition is unknown.
The incident did cause the agency’s power system to shut down in the area for about five minutes.
And the CTA does not have a cover over the 3rd rail as every other transit system does. Might have helped prevent this tragedy.
Why was she holding a metal object and not a fiberglass or other insulated tool? Did the transit supply the wrong kind of tool?
Good questions on the metal tool and the power being on. Asking questions if great but let’s not jump to conclusions before there are answers.
Shouldn’t the 3rd-rail should have been turned off if there were workers on that section of track?
Thanks for the link to the source story. More Newswire articles should include this feature.
Very very lucky, my buddy from HS died, sneakin in thru the back side of Kedzie station on the Brown Line back in 1989. She used up her 9 lives!!