Traffic was backed up along Columbus Street (Route 23) and other streets throughout central Ottawa following a train-car accident on La Salle Street Tuesday morning. According to police, the first report was received just before noon, and officers were sent to redirect traffic. Block intersections along the Illinois Railway were reopened around 12:30 pm.
According to police, the driver in the accident, Kenneth Eike, 74, was uninjured and was not cited. Eike told police his 2009 Toyota SUV slid into the moving train on the snow-covered road. While the crossing at La Salle Street has flashing lights, there are no warning gates.