Five hurt in Amtrak train collision in Chicago

CHICAGO - An Amtrak train collided with a freight car on Chicago's South Side on Friday, injuring five crew members while passengers suffered mostly bumps and bruises.

"The majority of people are in good shape," Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.

Langford said firefighters had to extricate at least one critically injured crew member from the Amtrak train's engine, which rode up on top of the freight car in a South Side rail yard.

Passengers told firefighters that the train, the Pere Marquette, was enroute to Chicago from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

None of the three double-decker passenger cars behind the engine derailed, and about 100 injured passengers were considered "walking wounded," suffering bumps and bruises from quick stop, Langford said.

"It had to be moving pretty good to end up on top of the freight car," Fire Department spokesman Kevin MacGregor said. He said 19 ambulances were sent to the scene of the crash that occurred shortly before noon local time.