{"id":565463,"date":"2026-02-04T10:38:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T10:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/565463\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T10:38:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T10:38:12","slug":"cta-derailment-in-the-loop-kills-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/565463\/","title":{"rendered":"CTA derailment in the Loop kills 11"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Feb. 4, according to the Tribune\u2019s archives.<\/p>\n<p>Is an important event missing from this date? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2026\/02\/04\/february-4-chicago-history\/mailto:krumore@chicagotribune.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Email us<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Front page flashback:<\/strong> Feb. 5, 1977<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"Authorities said a crash occurred about 5:25 p.m. on Feb. 4, 1977 when an eight-car westbound Lake-Dan Ryan CTA train (now parts of the Green and Red lines) rounded the curve at Lake Street and Wabash Avenue and struck the rear of a Ravenswood train (Brown line). More than 160 people were injured, and 11 were killed. (Chicago Tribune)\" width=\"2378\" height=\"554\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CTC-L-CTA-LOOP-TRAIN-DERAILMENT-1977-01-e1769720028532.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"17936088\" \/>Authorities said a crash occurred about 5:25 p.m. on Feb. 4, 1977, when an eight-car westbound Lake-Dan Ryan CTA train (now parts of the Green and Red lines) rounded the curve at Lake Street and Wabash Avenue and struck the rear of a Ravenswood train (Brown line). More than 160 people were injured, and 11 were killed. (Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<p><strong>1977: <\/strong>A bystander called it \u201ca slow-motion horror.\u201d The Tribune called it the worst crash in Chicago Transit Authority history. Eleven people were killed and scores injured when a CTA elevated train struck the rear of a standing train at Lake Street and Wabash Avenue, sending multiple cars <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2017\/02\/04\/the-l-crash-of-1977-a-slow-motion-horror\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">plunging to the street<\/a> during the evening rush hour.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Weather records <\/strong>(from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/wrh\/climate?wfo=lot\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">National Weather Service, Chicago<\/a>)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>High temperature: <strong>59 degrees<\/strong> (1890)<\/li>\n<li>Low temperature: <strong>Minus 14 degrees<\/strong> (1996)<\/li>\n<li>Precipitation: <strong>1.26 inches<\/strong> (1924)<\/li>\n<li>Snowfall: <strong>4.3 inches<\/strong> (1932)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"Brian Urlacher walks off the field after Super Bowl XLI in Miami on Feb. 4, 2007. (Jim Prisching\/Chicago Tribune)\" width=\"1770\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CTC-L-urlacher-Bears0204_189572285-e1769801199252.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"31004279\" \/>Brian Urlacher walks off the field after Super Bowl XLI in Miami on Feb. 4, 2007. (Jim Prisching\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<p><strong>2007:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/chicagotribune.newspapers.com\/article\/chicago-tribune-bears-lose-super-bowl-xl\/164187994\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Super Bowl XLI<\/a> began encouragingly for the Chicago Bears as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2019\/08\/19\/please-let-them-kick-it-to-me-the-oral-history-of-devin-hesters-super-bowl-xli-kickoff-return-touchdown-and-the-coverage-team-that-dared-to-stop-him\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Devin Hester<\/a> returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown on a rainy evening in Miami. Making their first Super Bowl appearance in 21 years, the Bears trailed 22-17 going into the fourth quarter before the Colts\u2019 Kelvin Hayden intercepted a Rex Grossman pass and returned it 56 yards for the clinching touchdown.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"xPKFUeSxH8\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2024\/08\/03\/devin-hester-steve-mcmichael-hall-of-fame-chicago-bears\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bears greats Devin Hester and Steve McMichael join exclusive company in a Chicago-tinged Hall of Fame induction ceremony<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Grossman completed 20 of 28 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2007\/02\/05\/bears-fall-in-sloppy-super-bowl\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">threw two interceptions<\/a> as Peyton Manning claimed his first Super Bowl championship. Final score: Colts 29, Bears 17.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2015:<\/strong> After the Illinois Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2014\/05\/05\/cameras-in-cook-county-courtrooms-could-finally-be-close-2\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">approved<\/a> a long-awaited pilot program allowing cameras in courtrooms in December 2014, the program <a href=\"https:\/\/chicagotribune.newspapers.com\/article\/chicago-tribune-judge-approves-1st-test\/161077791\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">began<\/a> at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. The first case to be photographed\/televised was the <a href=\"https:\/\/chicagotribune.newspapers.com\/article\/chicago-tribune-chicago-officers-killer\/161078025\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sentencing of two men<\/a> in the killing of Chicago police Officer Thomas Wortham IV.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"The sentencing of co-defendants Paris McGee and Toyious Taylor in the death of Chicago police Officer Thomas Wortham IV on Feb. 4, 2015, was the first test of cameras in Cook County criminal courtrooms. No restrictions had been placed on what a video cameraman and two still photographers, including one from the Tribune, stationed in the jury box could show. (Chicago Tribune)\" width=\"1755\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CTC-L-THOMAS-WORTHAM-SENTENCING-CAMERAS-01.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"17936174\" \/>The sentencing of co-defendants Paris McGee and Toyious Taylor in the death of Chicago police Officer Thomas Wortham IV on Feb. 4, 2015, was the first test of cameras in Cook County criminal courtrooms. No restrictions had been placed on what a video cameraman and two still photographers, including one from the Tribune, stationed in the jury box could show. (Chicago Tribune)<br \/>\nWant more vintage Chicago?<\/p>\n<p>Subscribe to the free\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/membership.chicagotribune.com\/newsletters\/subscribe\/lid\/2d8200fe-eefd-4f1d-bcaa-26a0ce79a461\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/membership.chicagotribune.com\/newsletters\/subscribe\/lid\/2d8200fe-eefd-4f1d-bcaa-26a0ce79a461\">Vintage Chicago Tribune<\/a>\u00a0newsletter, join our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/762760217263236\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/762760217263236\/\">Chicagoland history Facebook group,<\/a> stay current with<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/tag\/chicago-history\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> Today in Chicago History<\/a> and follow us on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vintagetribune\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vintagetribune\/\">Instagram<\/a>\u00a0for more from Chicago\u2019s past.<\/p>\n<p>Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Kori Rumore and Marianne Mather at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2026\/02\/04\/february-4-chicago-history\/mailto:krumore@chicagotribune.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">krumore@chicagotribune.com<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2026\/02\/04\/february-4-chicago-history\/mailto:mmather@chicagotribune.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">mmather@chicagotribune.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Feb. 4, according to the Tribune\u2019s&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":565464,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5124],"tags":[960,6387,5464,54650,143497,106567,72307,246502,5386,1818,9814,246503,246504],"class_list":["post-565463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-chicago","tag-chicago","tag-chicago-history","tag-chicago-police","tag-chicago-transit-authority","tag-cta-train","tag-derailment","tag-devin-hester","tag-february-4","tag-il","tag-illinois","tag-loop","tag-super-bowl-xli","tag-thomas-wortham-iv"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116011932544844367","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/565463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=565463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/565463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/565464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=565463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=565463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=565463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}