Female bicyclist struck, killed by freight train in Grayslake

GRAYSLAKE, Ill. (WLS) -- A female bicyclist was struck and killed by a freight train in Grayslake Tuesday night, Metra said.

The incident involving a CN train occurred just after 8 p.m. near Lake and Hillside in Grayslake.

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"It's just horrible," Ron Beckman, who lives nearby, said. "I don't wish that on anybody. It's a terrible thing."

People who live in nearby homes said they heard the commotion.

"When we looked over, we saw a lot of flashing lights. It seems like the ambulance was already here. But it seems like it was going on for a really long time," Gabby Miniscalo, who lives nearby, said.

"I was looking out the kitchen window and I saw the lights over there and everything I figured well something had to have happened," Beckman said.

Metra Police are handling the investigation, although the incident involved a CN freight train, not a Metra train.

Police were seen inspecting the tracks Wednesday morning where the bicyclist was allegedly hit.

"I think it's terrible, I take my dogs out here for a walk almost every day," Miniscalo said. "It kind of gives me goosebumps and I think it's a scary thing."

Neighbors said they do not believe the train arm or tracks were malfunctioning at the time.

And although there is a sign posted that says "no train horn," neighbors said train conductors still tend to give some sort of warning.

"The arms go down and they go down pretty in advance," Miniscalo said. "Even though it says no horn, there's still usually a horn."

Beckman has lived here for 20 years and can't recall anything like this happening at this train crossing.

"It's horrible because you've got the gates you got the dingdong you've got all that stuff," Beckman said. I don't know. There's a lot of questions that need to be answered."

Meanwhile, the scene was cleared earlier Wednesday morning and back open to traffic. There was also no impact to Metra commuters.