A witness said that about a dozen passengers helped free the man, and that they were "Chicago's heroes." View Full Caption Craig Gernhardt

ROGERS PARK — About a dozen CTA passengers banded together to free a man whose leg got pinned between the Red Line train and the Morse "L" station platform Friday afternoon.

Craig Gernhardt, a Rogers Park resident, was walking down the street near the Morse station about 3:30 p.m. Friday when he heard someone screaming.

"He was screaming pretty loudly," said Gernhardt, who walked closer to see what was happening and saw a man in his 30s with his leg stuck between the last car of the northbound Red Line train and the platform. "He clearly looked in pain."

Gernhardt said passengers on the platform immediately pressed the CTA emergency button and started pushing the train to the side to try to free the man.

"They literally tried to push the train to unlodge the guy ... it was remarkable that these passengers got to him so quickly," Gernhardt said.

Gernhardt said the man was freed and was laying on his back on the platform by the time police and fire officials arrived. He was taken away on a stretcher.

The whole thing was over in about 15 to 20 minutes, Gernhardt said.

A CTA spokesman confirmed the incident happened around 3:30 p.m. and that CTA personnel called for "medical assistance." Trains were slightly delayed, but there were no significant issues with train service.

Fire Cmdr. Curtis Hudson, a spokesman for the Fire Department, said that the man was taken to St. Francis Hospital in good condition.

"They're Chicago's heroes," Gernhardt said of the good samaritans who helped the man.

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