Yorkville man dies after being struck by freight train in Geneva

A 49-year-old Yorkville man died Friday night when he was struck by a freight train on the Union Pacific-West railroad tracks at the Third Street crossing in downtown Geneva.

According to a news release from the Geneva Police Department, the man died while attempting to cross the tracks with two other men while the guardrail arms were down and flashing.

First responders were dispatched to the railroad crossing just before 9 p.m. Friday, where they met with the two surviving men and several witnesses. A preliminary investigation found that the men got off a Metra train on the south side of Third Street and were going to their vehicle, which was parked on the north side of the tracks. While the two men made it across, the Yorkville man was hit by an eastbound freight train on the north track.

The train was stopped at Third Street, blocking both the Third Street and Western Avenue crossings for more than two hours Friday night.

The accident remains under investigation by the Geneva Police Department and the Kane County Coroner’s Office.

The man’s name has not been released, as family members are still being notified, the release stated.