Teen’s fatal train collision was preventable, IL lawsuit says. ‘Family has struggled’
Marin Lacson was on her way to school on a frigid January morning. The 17-year-old reached the train tracks on her walk to high school, stopping for an outbound Metra commuter train passing by.
The dense fog descending upon Barrington, Illinois, on Jan. 25 limited her visibility, according to court documents, but Lacson thought she was free to cross the tracks after the outbound train passed.
Without warning to the student, however, a train heading toward Chicago swept through the crossing, striking Lacson and killing her, a lawsuit filed by her family on Sept. 18 said.
Now, grappling with his daughter’s death, Michael Lacson said he hopes to “prevent something like this from ever happening again.”
The father is suing Union Pacific Railroad Company, Metra and the Village of Barrington, alleging Marin Lacson’s death would have been prevented if pedestrian safety measures were placed at Hough Street Crossing, where his daughter was fatally struck by the train.
Michael Lacson is seeking $50,000 from each of the defendants.
Metra declined to comment on the lawsuit and Union Pacific said it has not reviewed it.
The Village of Barrington said it had not been formally served, but told McClatchy News the village has taken “immediate actions” to increase safety near train crossings since the “tragic accident.”
When Marin Lacson approached the tracks, there was no pedestrian gate to notify her when it was safe to cross, the lawsuit said.
“Automatic pedestrian gates are used to physically prevent pedestrians from crossing the tracks when activated by an approaching train,” the lawsuit said.
The crossing is also located in a “Quiet Zone,” according to court documents, meaning passing trains do not automatically sound their horn and only do so at the conductor’s discretion.
These two factors, in addition to the fog, meant Marin Lacson could not have seen the second train coming toward her in enough time to stay out of the way, according to the lawsuit.
Michael Lacson said pedestrian safety measures have been “ignored for years and continue to be ignored” by the village and train companies.
Two train collisions at Hough Street Crossing preceded Marin Lacson’s death, one of them fatal, according to court documents.
In 2013, an 11-year-old boy was struck by a train at the crossing, which injured his leg, according to the lawsuit. The child’s mother “urged” the Village to implement more safety measures at the crossing in 2016.
According to court documents, Canadian Northern conducted a study that determined “there was no enhanced safety found with pedestrian based crossing gates vs. those without,” the lawsuit said.
However, court documents note that nearby Metra stations with pedestrian safety measures have never had any pedestrian collisions with trains.
Since the teen’s death, the Village of Barrington says it has implemented several safety measures, including adding “safety monitors” at the crossing during school hours, according to a spokesperson.
“Over the past several months since Marin’s death, my entire family has struggled to come to terms with the senselessness of her death,” Michael Lacson said. “Marin’s death will not be in vain.”
Barrington is about a 40-mile drive northwest from downtown Chicago.
This story was originally published September 19, 2024 at 10:15 AM with the headline "Teen’s fatal train collision was preventable, IL lawsuit says. ‘Family has struggled’."
