Current:Home > StocksA college student fell asleep on the train. She woke up hours later trapped inside. -MoneyStream
A college student fell asleep on the train. She woke up hours later trapped inside.
EchoSense View
Date:2025-04-10 14:46:28
Amtrak said it would apologize to a college student who was trapped on an empty Chicago-bound train after she fell asleep on the ride.
Aria Lockhart, a Southern Illinois University student, told WGN-TV she boarded the train in Carbondale, an Illinois college town around 330 miles from Chicago, at around 3 a.m. on Sunday.
"I fell asleep because it’s 3 o’clock in the morning, I was pretty tired," she told the local news station.
More than four hours later, she said she awoke to find her car completely empty. She filmed the eerie scene on her cell phone camera as she walked from car to car, finding no one.
More:Amtrak's new Airo trains debuting in 2026 will be faster, more sustainable
Lockhart's mother, Victoria Jackson, told the outlet that she called Amtrak customer service as she waited for her daughter at Chicago's Union Station, but she received little guidance about how her daughter could escape.
Jackson said company representatives said her daughter was "already in the yard and the train isn’t due until tomorrow."
Amtrak told USA TODAY in an email that customer representatives had contacted Lockhart and Jackson by phone after the train was brought to the railyard for servicing. The company said it would reach out to Lockhart with an apology and to learn more about what happened.
Although her daughter was finally freed, Jackson said she was unhappy with how long it took. "“If anyone was trapped on the train that would be some type of urgency and I didn’t see that,” she told reporters.
USA TODAY's attempts to reach Lockhart and her mother on Monday were unsuccessful.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- Woman who lost husband and son uses probate process to obtain gunman’s records
- Dartmouth College naming center in memory of football coach Teevens
- A chemical cloud moving around Atlanta’s suburbs prompts a new shelter-in-place alert
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- Would Suits’ Sarah Rafferty Return for the L.A. Spinoff? She Says…
- Attorney says 120 accusers allege sexual misconduct against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
- This year’s MacArthur ‘genius’ fellows include more writers, artists and storytellers
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- Two nominees for West Virginia governor agree to Oct. 29 debate
Ranking
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- Kristin Cavallari Shares Glimpse Inside New Home After Mark Estes Breakup
- MLB playoffs: Who are the umpires for every AL and NL Wild Card series?
- 'McNeal' review: Robert Downey Jr.’s new Broadway play is an endurance test
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Lady Gaga Details “Amazing Creative Bond” With Fiancé Michael Polansky
- Kentucky lawman steps down as sheriff of the county where he’s accused of killing a judge
- Mail delivery suspended in Kansas neighborhood after 2 men attack postal carrier
Recommendation
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
Dead inmate identified as suspect in 1995 disappearance of 6-year-old Morgan Nick
I’ve Spent Over 1000+ Hours on Amazon, and These Are the 9 Coziest Fall Loungewear Starting at $12
Days after Hurricane Helene, a powerless mess remains in the Southeast
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Alaska will not file criminal charges in police shooting of 16-year-old girl holding knife
Exclusive: Watch the rousing trailer for Disney+'s 'Music by John Williams'
This year’s MacArthur ‘genius’ fellows include more writers, artists and storytellers