A 23-year-old Corpsman based at Naval Station Great Lakes died Tuesday crossing the tracks near the Highwood Metra Station when he was struck by train at about 6:15 p.m., according to Lake County Coroner Richard Keller.
The coroner on Wednesday identified him as Chase Church, of Laguna Niguel, Calif. Church was attempting to run across the tracks with a group of fellow Navy enlistees before a Union Pacific/North Line train passed by, Keller said.
Church’s mother on Wednesday was skeptical that her son tried to beat the train, saying it may have been an express train that didn’t stop at the station, which confused her son, who thought it’d slow down and stop.
“He is a California boy,” Patti Church said. “He doesn’t know anything about trains. We drive cars here.”
Church was the only one in his group struck by the train, Keller said. He died instantly of multiple traumas, the coroner said, adding that Church’s family was notified of his death by the Navy.
Church was born in Monterey, Calif. but grew up in Laguna Niguel, a southern suburb of Los Angeles, according to his mother. He was a varsity soccer star at Aliso Niguel High School, she said.
“He was the best 23-year-old you’d ever meet,” she said.
Naval Station Great Lakes spokesman John Sheppard said Church had recently completed eight weeks of boot camp. He had been training to be a Navy medic at the station’s Naval Hospital Corps School, which is a 14-week program, he said.
Church had recently finished the hospital corps school program, graduating with distinction by scoring 90 percent and above on tests, said Great Lakes Chief Hospital Corpsman Donald Dumas. Due to his strong academic performance, Church was one of the few who had been selected to continue his medical training at a Navy surgical school in San Antonio, Dumas said.
The train, heading to Kenosha, had been stopped at Highwood due to the incident, according to Metra’s website. The train was scheduled to arrive in Kenosha at 6:40 p.m.
Several additional inbound and outbound trains on that line were stopped approaching the Highwood station during the investigation, Metra said, but train service had resumed as of about 8:50 p.m.
This article has inaccurate information. My son, Chase Church, was not a recruit, he was a Navy Corpsman, and was not trying to run across the tracks before a train came. He and his fellow corpsmen were at a pedestrian crossing that did not have gates, was in a quiet zone, it was dark, and the Corpsmen did not see the train as it was coming around a curve, nor were they expecting it as it was a late running express train. I am disgusted that the author would write inaccurate information to get a story out without thinking of the ramification and pain it caused family and friends. Chase is dead, he cannot rebut this nonsense. In addition, for the reporter to call my house and post the story before I was even notified by the Navy is shameful, just shameful. I am disgusted and have been since this tragic accident of a fine, intelligent, young man, my son. A life cut too short by an unsafe train crossing; like so many in Northeast Chicago.
Yes, I agree with Cody, We all work hard around here to earn our title, and if anything Church should be honored for his service, Not called a recruit, He already graduated bootcamp, He is NO LONGER A RECRUIT. Please Revise this and make the correction.
Chase Church was NOT a recruit. He was a Navy Hospital Corpsman, and he was accompanied by my friends, his fellow Navy Hospital Corpsman. Revise this immediately PLEASE. This article was posted on his memorial page on facebook in which most of the class of 62 are members, all Navy Hospital Corpsman. Not recruits. He earned his rate.