Sunday, June 21, 2009

Rockford woman killed in train derailment

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/us/21train.html?ref=us 

Canadian National train explodes, kills motorist

Firefighters and officials work Saturday, June 20, 2009, at the scene of a Canadian National freight train that derailed and exploded on Mulford Road near Sandy Hollow Road.

Several cars from a Canadian National Railway Co. train smoldered Saturday near Rockford as federal investigators continued to probe whether standing water from heavy rains was a factor in a Friday night derailment that left a 41-year-old woman dead and three others injured.
Zoila Tellez of Rockford died trying to flee her car, which was stopped at a rural Cherry Valley railroad crossing when the train derailed. Three passengers got out and ran, but Tellez collapsed 20 feet behind her vehicle and died, Winnebago County Coroner Sue Fiduccia said Saturday.
"When everything went to hell and debris started flying and everything, she got out of her car and started to run away from it and that's when she got caught in the fire," said Fiduccia, who planned a Sunday autopsy.
A 17-year-old female passenger was in critical condition in the Stroger Hospital burn unit after being flown by helicopter Saturday, a hospital spokesman said. Another remained in a Rockford hospital.

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