Children killed in Western Springs train crash remembered by school

Two children killed in a train crash in Western Springs, Illinois, are being mourned by their schoolmates and community.

Police said an Amtrak train carrying 25 passengers collided with a car on the tracks at the Wolf Road crossing in Western Springs, Illinois, Wednesday morning.  Two children were killed and an adult was injured. A memorial of flowers and candles has formed near the site where they lost their lives.

The superintendent of Pleasantdale School District 107 said the children were both elementary students in the district. While he hasn't identified them out of respect to their family, he said the whole community is in mourning.

"There is no class for this in superintendent school and there's no playbook to respond to a tragedy like this," Dave Palzet said in a news conference Thursday morning. "We know these kids. We're a very small district. So everyone knows the kids and everyone knows everyone else. We are focused on putting the support in place for the kids and staff."

The driver of the 2008 Mitsubishi was taken to a local hospital with critical injuries.

The village said early reports indicate the railroad crossing gates were functioning and down at the time of the crash.

A witness told CBS News Chicago the driver disobeyed the gates and drove across the tracks.

Palzet said the two children killed were girls and elementary students who were known in the community.

"The girls had been in our school since kindergarten. So lots of connections there. Lots of connections for the girls. Lots of connections for the families," he said.

As tough as it is to have that conversation with students, Palzet said he's letting the students lead the conversation.

"We're helping them process those feelings. We're doing as much one on one as we can. As students start to have feelings and thoughts and process through, we have a team of social workers there," he said.

The village also said social workers and comfort dogs will be available at the village hall until 5 p.m. Thursday.