(They Leila Noelliste appeared on the Daily Journal website on March 15, 2009.)
KANKAKEE, Ill. — Exactly 10 years after the deadly Amtrak crash that killed 11 people and injured dozens, more than 60 survivors, rescue workers and family members of the deceased gathered to remember. Families came from as far as Omaha, Neb., to attend the 30-minute service, held at an outdoor memorial site and directed by Bourbonnais Mayor Paul Schore.
“When they lost their family member, they lost them here in Bourbonnais. And that bond has been created,” said David Verkler, one of the first officers to arrive on the crash scene.
At around 9:30 p.m. on March 15, 1999, a southbound Amtrak train carrying more than 200 passengers crashed into a flatbed truck loaded with steel at the now defunct McKnight Road crossing in Bourbonnais. The train caught fire soon after the crash and workers from the nearby Birmingham Steele Factory pulled passengers out before police and firefighters arrived at the scene.
John Vant, who lost both parents and a sister in the crash, said the memorial helped with the healing process. “There’s no such thing as closure. What there is is an understanding of how you have to handle it ultimately, and it takes a while. But eventually you have to figure out how to handle it… The goodness of the people here made my folks’ and sisters’ passing so much better, so much easier,” said Vant.
Several attendees said they came to honor rescue workers. “There were so many people that helped us that night, and I really think that the police and firefighters, they get paid to do that, that’s what their job is. But the steel workers, they didn’t have to risk their lives to help people off that train,” said Mickey Piette, who cracked a rib in the crash.
Jason Peppin, one of the Birmingham Steel rescuers, said he came to see how people’s lives had moved on since the tragedy. “It’s kinda nice to hear how things went on for some people because you don’t really hear about that. It’s kind of nice to see some of them be able to come back,” Peppin said.
Amtrak Senior Director Patricia Willis spoke at the memorial, referring to the efforts of Amtrak employees and local rescue agencies a “benchmark” for how things should go after a major disaster.
But one survivor, who declined to give her name, said she was upset at how Amtrak handled things. “(After the crash) I needed to bounce things off of somebody. And I couldn’t get survivors’ names, Amtrak wouldn’t give me the names. So it took weeks of research on my part to try and find other people that had been on the train,” said the woman.
Still, the focus of the memorial was a celebration of life and bravery in the wake of a tragedy. “I came back here to celebrate the lives of my mom and dad and sister, but also to celebrate the accomplishment and the heroism that is here,” Vant said.
Those who were killed:
Helena Adkins, 42, of Washington
Wendy Vant, 42, of Washington
Leona Vant, 71, of Washington
Vergil Vant, 76, of Washington
Marie Munson, 64, of Illinois
Keiichi Nomura, 20, of Japan
Jessica Tickle, 11, of Mississippi
June Lee Bonnin, 46, of Mississippi
Rainey Lipscomb, 10, of Mississippi
Lacey Lipscomb, 8, of Mississippi
Sheena Dowe, 22, of Mississippi