A Northwest Indiana family is suing Metra after a local journalist was hit and killed by a train while crossing the tracks last summer.
Grace Bentkowski, 22, of Dyer, Indiana, was crossing the tracks at the Hegewisch station at 13730 S. Brainard Ave last July when she was hit by a South Shore Line train.
Her family said passengers getting off eastbound trains at the Hegewisch station are forced to cross active westbound tracks to reach the station and parking lot.
In the lawsuit, the family said Metra, which owns the station, failed to provide proper safety measures at the station, such as warning signals, fencing, or a pedestrian overpass to protect pedestrians.
"For years, Metra has knowingly placed passengers in harm's way by requiring them to cross active train tracks without adequate warning or protection," Bentkowski family attorney Ben Crane said in a statement. "The facts are clear -- this tragedy could have been prevented had the defendants taken the necessary steps to ensure pedestrian safety. We are committed to holding Metra accountable for its negligence and seek to prevent future fatalities."
Since Bentkowski's death, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District -- which operates the South Shore Line -- has installed yellow warning signs at the station, reading: "See tracks? Think train." But the family has said more needs to be done to protect pedestrians.