Family of young journalist struck, killed by train sues Metra

CHICAGO — The family of a young journalist struck and killed last summer in Hegewisch has sued Metra.

Metra, who owns the Hegewisch station which the South Shore Line runs through, is accused of failing to implement proper safety measures.

Grace Bentkowski, 22, of Dyer, got off of her shift at NewsNation downtown on the afternoon of July 25, 2024 and went shopping. It was time for Bentkowski to head home so she walked to Millennium Station to take the South Shore Line home.

When Bentkowski exited her train at the Hegewisch station, family previously told WGN News she walked west and saw others in front of her cross the tracks, but her view was obstructed by a large concrete pillar.

When her eastbound train got to the station, another South Shore train was coming into the station westbound. At the station, commuters have to cross the tracks to get to the parking lot and there was no safety gates.

The lawsuit contends that the westbound engineer did not sound the horn to alert exiting passengers.

Bentkowski was struck by the train and later died from her injuries at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

“We have the kids on a Life360 app (provides GPS location) and we saw that she got on the train, father Phil Bentkowski said last year. “And then a delay came up on the South Shore website. The next one said train-pedestrian accident. I thought, ‘glad it’s probably not her.’”

Then after five or so minutes, Bentkowski noticed her location started going backward toward Chicago instead of Northwest Indiana.

He thought someone stole her phone, then the GPS dot started going 70 to 80 miles per hour toward the University of Chicago Medical Center.

“I got a bad feeling she was the one who was hit, as soon as I saw she ended up at University of Chicago I hopped in the car and drove down there,” Bentkowski said.

After hours of waiting and surgery, the family was told that their daughter didn’t make it.

In addition to a lack of signage, there is not a safety arm where patrons have to cross the westbound and eastbound tracks.

“Her phone wasn’t damaged, she wasn’t on it and had her AirPods in her purse,” her father said. “The only thing in her hand was her car keys.”

Bentkowski was a standout student journalist at Lake Central High School and Ball State University, where she directed both news programs.

At the time of her death, she was looking at apartments downtown with her boyfriend and planned to move to the city soon.

The suit is seeking damages and family previously said they hope safety changes are made to prevent future incidents.

Both Metra and the South Shore Line had no comment, citing pending litigation.