Car crashes into MetroLink near metro-east station, causing service delays
A vehicle crashed into a MetroLink car as it left Emerson Park station in East St. Louis, shutting down normal operations for almost an hour and a half.
Rev. Solomon Butler, 58, who serves as the pastor for Union Full Gospel Baptist Church in East St. Louis, says he struck the train “a few minutes 9 a.m.” on Jan. 3. According to Butler, the cause of the wreck was due to a brake failure in his Mercedes CLK 350.
“They just went out and I hit the train,” Butler said.
As the incident was being corrected, MetroLink officials set up shuttles between stations to prevent service interruptions. According to MetroLink representatives, only three customers requested to be transported, with no apparent injuries.
The shuttles were dispatched at 9:13 a.m., but by 10:30 the scene was cleared and normal operations resumed.
Authorities on the scene said they were surprised no one was seriously hurt.
