Larry Gitzlaff, 66, drove the Jeep through the rail crossing while the stop arms were down as the train was crossing the Canadian Pacific Rail crossing on County Highway KR just east of County Highway H in Mount Pleasant.
The Amtrak passenger train, which had 70 passengers on board, crashed into the Jeep and “carried the Jeep down the tracks for a significant distance,” according to the press release.
The train, which had moderate damage to three of the passenger train cars, stopped. Officials noted that debris was scattered for about a half mile.
Conscious and breathing, Gitzlaff suffered significant injuries. Southshore and Somers fire departments responded to the scene. Traffic was shutdown between 90th Street and County Highway H. Gitzlaff was first taken to St. Catherine’s Hospital in Kenosha and then he was taken to Froedtert Memorial Hospital. His condition is not known at this time.
Mount Pleasant Police Department traffic investigators are still investigating the crash. Sturtevant Police Department, the Kenosha and Racine county sheiff’s departments, and Canadian Pacific Rail Police assisted with the crash.
