Richard Laba Killed in University Park, Illinois Train Accident on October 23, 2025

In University Park, Illinois, on the morning of October 23, 2025, 19-year-old Richard E. Laba Jr. was fatally struck by an Amtrak train at the railway crossing near University Parkway and Governor’s Highway. According to the Will County Coroner’s Office, authorities were notified shortly before 8 a.m. of a bicyclist hit by a train. Responding officers found Laba unresponsive at the scene, and despite life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead at 8:40 a.m.

The collision led to the temporary closure of the crossing as University Park Police, along with Canadian National Railroad Police, conducted an investigation. Additional assistance was provided by police from Monee, Amtrak, and Metra. Officials have not yet released further details regarding the circumstances that led to the fatal train strike. The investigation remains ongoing.