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Amtrak and freight trains collide, seriously injuring five people

By Times Wires
Published December 1, 2007

CHICAGO

An Amtrak train plowed into the back of a freight train and crushed one end of a boxcar under its wheels Friday, injuring dozens of people, some seriously. Most of the 187 passengers walked away unhurt.

Passengers were hurled into the seats in front of them in the accident on the city's South Side, and four people had to be pulled from the front of the train, where the engine was located, authorities said.

The collision sent 71 people to a dozen hospitals, most of them in stable or good condition, according to the Chicago Fire Department. Five people were taken from the scene in serious to critical condition.

The damage to the passenger train was mostly to its engine, authorities said. Three people in the locomotive, apparently all Amtrak employees, were among the most seriously injured, said Larry Langford, a spokesman for the Chicago Fire Department. No one was in the portion of the Norfolk Southern freight train that was struck, and neither of the two workers aboard was hurt.

It was not immediately clear what caused the collision, which occurred at about 11:30 a.m.

SAN FRANCISCO

U.S. sues shipowner, pilot over oil spill

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Friday accusing the pilot and the owners of the container ship Cosco Busan of breaking environmental laws when the ship struck a bridge support in San Francisco Bay, spilling 58,000 gallons of toxic oil.

The suit alleges that the Nov. 7 crash violated the National Marine Sanctuary Act, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Park System Resource Protection Act and seeks unspecified damages to compensate taxpayers for the federal response.

Also, William Uberti, the Coast Guard captain who was criticized for his handling of the initial cleanup of the spill, has announced his retirement.

CAPE CANAVERAL

'Atlantis' is clearedfor launch Thursday

NASA has cleared Atlantis for a Thursday launch, one month after the last space shuttle flight and a flurry of work since then getting the international space station ready for a new laboratory.

Discovery's return from the space station in early November in "almost pristine shape" helped keep Atlantis on track, shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico

Beauty queen's items not tainted, test shows

The evening gown and makeup brush of a Puerto Rican beauty queen tested negative for pepper spray, casting doubt on claims they had been doused to sabotage her successful pageant bid. But a delay of at least four days in the testing could have affected the outcome, officials said.

Miss Puerto Rico Universe winner Ingrid Marie Rivera was composed while strutting before pageant judges last week, but backstage she applied ice bags to her face and body as she swelled and broke out in hives.

Pageant director Magali Feble said she does not doubt that the winner was sabotaged and will request testing of the items for other chemicals.

[Last modified December 1, 2007, 00:19:42]